


Purpose of Existence

by Socordiasomnia



Series: Purpose of Existence AU [1]
Category: Deltarune (Video Game), Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Origin Story, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Breaking the Fourth Wall, Deltarune Spoilers, Determination (Undertale), God Complex, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Kris Has Depression, Kris Is Weird, Lancer Is Oblivious, M/M, Male Kris (Deltarune), Minor Noelle Holiday/Susie (Deltarune), No Player Character, Original Character(s), POV Alternating, POV Third Person, Pre-Deltarune, Ralsei Isn't All He Seems, Ralsei is a Cinnamon Roll, Slow Burn, Susie Is Also Weird, Undertale References, Undertale Spoilers, Wholesome Until It's Not
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2019-10-11 10:11:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 66,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17444918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Socordiasomnia/pseuds/Socordiasomnia
Summary: "Existence is a strange thing.The simple fact that something can once come from nothing is a baffling thought. So peculiar in every possible way, and yet, that is how most things come to be. Nothing becoming something, and then one day, that something can become nothing once again.Such is the cycle of life and death. Such is the cycle of existence."_____A Canon-Divergent AU Story in which the Knight created Ralsei. Kris/Ralsei implied throughout the plot.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I'M FINALLY POSTING HERE AAAA
> 
> I've been working on this AU and fanfic for months now and I really hope you guys will enjoy it!!
> 
> Gonna stress some warnings, just in case this involves things that you personally aren't interested in:
> 
> -The Knight, in this story, is a human with a lot of power. In the Undertale Universe, he would be compared to the Human Magicians that created the Barrier. He will do some things that will break a lot of science and magic laws. All will be explained later in the plot!
> 
> -This fic has heavy implications of Kris x Ralsei. Their bond and friendship is very important to the plot, and some feelings might blossom throughout the course of their journey. This story does not follow the theory that Ralsei might be Asriel. Asriel is his own person somewhere in the Light World!
> 
> -Kris is going to be depicted as male in this fic! It's not an attack on anyone who thinks they're otherwise, of course. It's my personal headcanon for the character. If you don't like this, you might not enjoy this. I personally don't mind what people interpret this character's gender as and everyone is entitled to their own opinion! I hope that my headcanon will be respected in this fanfiction as I respect your own. <3
> 
> That being said! I hope you enjoy this story!

Existence is a strange thing.

The simple fact that _something_ can once come from _nothing_ is a baffling thought. So peculiar in every possible way, and yet, that is how most things come to be. Nothing becoming something, and then one day, that something can become nothing once again. Such is the cycle of life and death. Such is the cycle of **_existence_ **.

He can remember the day he first came into being, awakened in a silent void. Nothing but a concept tethered to a flowing energy that he quickly acknowledged as _home_ . Blackness enveloped his conscience; deep and hollow and endless. He was alone here, drifting in the shadows of nothingness and something within him ached. It was a feeling that reflected the world around him: **_empty_ **.

Then there was a voice; a soft muffled echo among the darkness. It called for him, gentle and beckoning. The tone made him feel warmth in the surrounding cold, luring him forward with whispered promise of safety. The very sound felt as though it filled the void within him, making him whole. He needed it, needed to _feel_ more of it.

Forward he moved, and as he did, the voice grew closer and clearer. He felt as though something was shining within him, pushing through the dark and filling in the emptiness that was his very existence. Need, need, need. He needed to reach it. To reach the voice. To become _complete_ . He raised small hands he didn’t even realize he had and reached out into the dark, grasping for something; _anything_ …

...and he was met with larger, warm hands.

They laced their fingers with his own, cradling his palms delicately as they gently pulled him forward, and he followed without protest. His body was being guided out of the cold, the temperature risen in contrast from the chill he had grown familiar with, and the farther he was pulled forward, the more the warmth spread. Snowy white paws were coaxed out of the darkness, trailing along soft thin arms, then finally, a little head had emerged.

Short, pink horns stood atop his head as long fluffy ears flopped with a bounce onto his shoulders. Wide rosy eyes gazed out into the world before him, startling him with his newly discovered sight for only a moment before he took in the appearance of his savior.

Towering over him was a tall man; his skin an icy blue, his slender face framed by long, dark tangling locks that trailed far down his back. Peeking out from beneath the curtain of dark hair shadowing his features was a striking red eye, a deep crimson that stared into him like a dagger despite its inviting gaze. A deep black scar traveled along his right cheek, cracking into his skin like damaged porcelain. He was as _beautiful_ as he was **_intimidating_ ** , and yet somehow, even as the man’s expression was stoic and unreadable, he immediately felt safe in his hands. He knew that this man was his protector, his guardian; his **_creator_ **.

Soon he is no longer in the cold void, but standing before the large man, his hands still grasped in a tender hold. The man gazed down upon him with a vague sense of fondness, as if he were admiring an expertly made masterpiece; **_his_ ** masterpiece. The creator knelt down before his creation, gloved thumbs smoothing over the fur of his white paws before he released them and reached into his long, grey cloak. From out of the shadows of his cloak, he tugged out another, smaller cloak, neatly folded and made of soft pastel green cloth. The man held the clothing out to his small companion, who reached out his little paws to grip it in his hands.

“Good morning, **Ralsei** ,” the blue man greeted in a low, hushed voice, “Welcome to your new home.”


	2. Nothing Becoming Something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mysterious magician and his newly born apprentice find a home in a world of nothingness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1 is here and our plot thickens! I hope you enjoy this first chapter of the plot! For these first chapters of the story, everything will be experienced from Ralsei's perspective. <3

Though the world was fresh and new to his young eyes, Ralsei grew accustomed to his surroundings with ease. He was a very quick learner, walking without support within minutes and speaking fluently within hours. Everything came to him so quickly, so  _ naturally _ that it was hard to believe he had only been born just the day before. Perhaps it was because of his connection to his creator, whom he had learned to call his  _ Teacher _ .

Ralsei now donned a pair of green framed glasses, crafted from his Teacher’s magic after discovering that the little goat had very poor eyesight. They matched the color of his soft green cloak and Ralsei had been overcome with a feeling of contentment upon putting them on. He was finally able to see and take in the sight of the world around him.

In just a few days, Ralsei was acting just as any sentient youthful being should. He walked with steps full of purpose, skipped when he was excited, and gained a strong sense of curiosity. He loved to learn and explore new things, testing his senses by sampling smells, tastes, and feelings. He had also begun asking questions. Many  _ “Whats” _ and  _ “Whys” _ making up his vocabulary as he would go about his days with his Teacher, who patiently provided him with answers.

“Teacher,” he had asked the blue man on the seventh day, “What am I?”

They sat together on a cliffside overviewing the Fountain of Darkness flowing high into the blackness of the sky. It was his Teacher’s favorite spot to reflect on his thoughts, a quiet spot with a wonderful view of the Void. It soon became Ralsei’s favorite spot as well and he enjoyed every second he spent relaxing with his creator after a long day of wandering the empty terrain.

“Why do you want to  _ know? _ ” His Teacher asked after a short pause, his eyes set upon the spire of Darkness rising into the sky.

Ralsei fidgeted his little paws in his lap as he carefully thought over his words, “Well, you see… We aren’t very alike, in many ways. I must be something… different from you? I guess I’m just curious of what I might be.”

His Teacher’s gaze remained on the void before them, his expression unchanging and ever neutral. Ralsei studied his face from where he sat beside him. The serene, yet cold expression of his creator was difficult to read. His crimson eye shone in the dark with a soft glow, his long dark hair tugged lightly by the gentle breeze that flowed around them. His eyes trailed along the black scar slashed along his cheek, permanently damaging his skin with secrets Ralsei had yet to uncover.

Everything about him was so fascinating to Ralsei; his mysterious demeanor, his calm voice, his very presence that felt as old as time itself. He was the man who gave him  _ everything _ , the man who meant the world to him and he trusted with all of his heart.

Just when Ralsei was beginning to think he wouldn’t get an answer to his question, his Teacher spoke a reply.

“You are my creation, born of my magical essence,” he gestured his hand toward the darkness flowing into the sky from far below them, “That beautiful geyser before us is the Fountain of Darkness, the source of the Dark World’s power and magic. The dark energy flowing from it is what keeps this world stable and balanced, holding its form together and ever expanding.”

Ralsei turned back to the crater in the earth, his eyes trailing along the towering energy before them in awe. He remembered this; the day he was brought into existence. He remembered how cold the Fountain was, the chill of emptiness and the calm silence of nothingness. It was his home until his Teacher had graciously plucked him out of the dark and took him under his wing as his pupil. What a lovely memory. It warmed Ralsei to know he had the opportunity to know more than the eternal darkness he was created from.

“Am I unlike you… because I came from there?” Ralsei inquired further.

“You are unlike many in this regard,” his Teacher replied evenly, “Most living things are not born of pure darkness, but you are not like most living things. You were conceived… from my thoughts. My  _ memories _ . And thanks to the Fountains blessing, you sit here beside me today.”

The little goat tilted his head, perplexed by his words. His thought and memories? What could that possibly mean? He had begun to ask further, but was interrupted by his Teacher’s larger gloved hand resting upon his head in a gentle pat. Ralsei easily melted under the affection.

“You are confused, and that is alright,” his Teacher sighed, his tone fond as he stood from his perch at the cliff’s edge, “Some things are better learned with time. Be patient, my little friend, and your answers will come to you.”

Nodding in understanding, Ralsei stood as well, patting down his cloak to brush away dirt as his Teacher stretched his arms over his head leisurely. It seemed their break was over. Ralsei would have loved to laze with his Teacher a while longer, but regardless of what they did, he was always eager to be wherever the man decided they would go.

“Now then, this land is quite bare, isn’t it?” The blue man hummed in thought, his arms lowering after his long stretch and disappearing once more beneath his dark gray cloak, “Why don’t we make this place more  **_presentable_ ** _?_ ”

__________

The duo had made their way back to the Fountain of Darkness and now stood at its base, the eternal flow towering high above them. Ralsei had tried looking to its peak on occasion whenever they were this close to the geyser, but only ever seemed to make himself dizzy and risk falling backward. Not that he worried, really. Whenever he had gotten close to doing so, his Teacher was quick to catch him and keep him steady.

Ralsei clasped his hands before himself as he stared into the darkness. Coming to this place always felt like he was returning to an old friend. Perhaps it was his connection to the Fountain that made him feel so rejuvenated upon being near it, as if the energy rising from earth below made him feel healthier and more alive.

His Teacher rose a hand to stop him from coming closer, a sign that the boy obeyed immediately as he stood dead in his tracks. He gave the man a questioning glance as he turned to face him, “Stay there. I am going to perform a spell that takes a lot of…  _ concentration _ .”

Obediently, Ralsei gave a nod and stood stiff in his spot behind him. His Teacher turned back to the Dark Fountain, approaching it closer until he stood only a dozen meters away. Ralsei could not see his face from where he stood, his back facing him, his long thick hair and cloak shielding him from view. He simply stood as if he were deep in his thoughts, and Ralsei watched as he slowly raised his hands at his sides.

Crackling along his palms was a deep black energy, sparking like lightning and emitting a violet glow. The magic traveled along his arms and the wind around them felt as though it were picking up. His cloak billowed on the rising breeze and his hair waved with the force. Ralsei gazed on with wide eyes, his heartbeat rising in tempo as he took in the sight of his creator performing an incredible spell. He had seen his Teacher perform many spells in his short life, but never something as powerful as this.

Fingers twitching with the overwhelming energy, the magician knelt to the ground, and in one swift motion, slammed his palms into the earth with a resounding pound. The force caused the ground to quake and the wind rising around them flowed outward from all sides around the Fountain of Darkness. The force caused Ralsei to stumble as he let out a gasp, just barely regaining his balance as he tripped over his toes. He clutched the cloth of his soft green cloak in his hands, raising them to shield his face from the harsh gales swirling around and shoving him about.

Peeking from behind his guarding cloth, he caught sight of his Teacher, his crouching pose firm and unfazed by the immense amounts of magic flowing around him. The crackling energy in his palms had now enveloped his arms in the form of a black blaze of fire, flowing into the earth and spreading out far along the empty crater and surrounding the Fountain in strange, flittering particles. The higher they grew, the sturdier they became, and soon, the two of them were surrounded by black walls that circled wide around the geyser.

Soon they were rising and curving high into a ceiling, wrapped carefully around the Fountain of Darkness, as if building a fortified shell around its base and leaving respectable space around its pillar. Ralsei watched in astonishment as the black particles of flame began to fade, leaving behind a firm wall of blue brick. The wind began to gradually die down, eventually returning to a gentle breeze provided by the Dark Fountain’s flowing power.

Ralsei lowered his hands from his face, twirling where he stood as he soaked in the sight of the newly formed building around them. It was as if a fully formed structure had sprouted out of the ground, spawning into existence and simply coming to be out of thin air.

Nothing becoming something… His Teacher was truly  _ incredible _ .

“A-Amazing…!” The little goat exclaimed, his jaw dropped and his eyes shining with wonder, “These walls are solid! Teacher, how in the world did you  _ do  _ this?”

“Years of practice,” his Teacher replied easily as he stood up once more to his towering height, dusting his hands in firm pats, “They are more than just walls. Why don’t you look around and tell me what you think?”

He gestured behind Ralsei, who glanced back over his shoulder to see a set of tall wooden blue doors, waiting to be opened. Ralsei could hardly contain his excitement as he turned on heel and raced for the door. It was a bit heavy for his small form, but with a hard enough tug, the large doors budged open with a low creak. He peeked his little head through the doors, and just as his Teacher had said, there was more waiting just beyond it.

A long hallway was just beyond the doors, floors made of cold cerulean marble and walls made of solid navy stone. Ever curious, Ralsei stepped out from behind the doors, the heels of his black boots clicking with echoes on the floor as he wandered down the hallway. It was fascinating to him knowing that this beautiful and ornate hall was once an empty space of stone ground.

“This is a whole building!” Ralsei called back as he wandered along the hallway, “It’s sort of like--”

“A  _ castle _ ,” the magician finished as he trailed after his energetic pupil, “I decided it would be best for you to have a place to call home. This kind of structure seemed like a perfect fit for you.”

“Goodness, Teacher, I love it!” The boy giggled gleefully as he reached the end of the hallway and rounded the corner, “It’s all so lovely and the floor is so pretty and--”

His words caught on his tongue as he stepped into the next room. It wasn’t like the room before. F _ ar different  _ from it, in fact. It was a large room covered in a sea of azure flowers surrounding a large, black throne. Stained glass windows loomed high above on the curving ceiling, casting a cold colored light upon the room below and illuminating the many petals in a soft glow. It was beautiful, like something out of a fairytale. Ralsei was overwhelmed with emotions he couldn’t describe, feelings so familiar yet too far away to grasp.

Tentatively, the boy stepped into the room and into the blueish green grass before him with care as he tiptoed around the flowers, not wanting to ruin the garden his Teacher had magically grown as he approached the back of the throne.

“What do you think, Ralsei?” His Teacher now stood in the doorway, leaning on the frame as he observed his speechless little creation wandering into the throne room, “Is it to your liking?”

As Ralsei reached the throne side, he reached out his paw to gently brush his fingers along the arm rest. It was crafted like sapphire, the stone adding color to the inky black cushioning as it framed the chair, curling upward at the top similarly to thick horns and the edges of a crown. It stood tall above his little form, fit for a king twice his size. He could not explain why, but it felt as though it was meant to be exactly this way.

“...I… I  _ love  _ it,” Ralsei repeated, his tone more hushed as he stepped around to the front of the throne, “This room is so beautiful, I almost don’t feel  _ worthy _ to stand in it…!”

“Hopefully, that feeling will pass,” the magician teased as he strolled forward into the room, “This is our home now and I intended for it to match to your liking.”

“F-For me?” His pupil swallowed as he placed his palm on the seat cushion. Despite his hesitation, he badly wanted to know what it was like to sit upon it, to feel what it was like to be in such a royal position, “I’m unclear… Are you a  _ King _ , Teacher?”

There was a pause as his Teacher reached the side of the throne, his calm red eye scanning over the blacks and blues as he reached out a hand and rested it upon one of the horns of the framing, “...No. I am no King. But for you,  _ little Prince _ , I will gladly be your  **_Knight_ ** .”

Ralsei froze at those words, turning quickly to look up at his Teacher incredulously.  _ Little Prince? _ Where on Earth was that coming from? Was this what he was created for? What he was meant to be? His Teacher’s expression remained neutral even now, his stoic features seeming to further emphasize just how serious he was being.

“P-Prince?” The boy stammered out, adjusting his slightly askew glasses from his sudden jolt, “Surely, you can’t mean-- I couldn’t  _ possibly-- _ ”

“Ralsei, why don’t you try sitting upon the throne,” his Teacher continued, gesturing to the seat, “I believe you should feel for yourself whether or not you are worthy of such a position.”

Ralsei’s hands fidgeted in his cloak, his fingers wringing at the fabric as he deliberated the option. He  _ was  _ very curious to feel what it felt like; to know what it was like to sit somewhere so important, despite existing in a kingdom of nothing. Worrying his lip between his fangs, he turned himself around to hesitantly sit on the throne. It was a bit high; he had to scoot himself backward and adjust himself to the size.

He felt so small in this throne, a throne made for someone far larger; fit for a  _ monster _ king to tower over his subjects. It shouldn’t have been so correct, and yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this exact position felt very  _ familiar _ . It filled him with an odd sense of comfort.

“How do you feel, my prince?” His teacher walked around to stand before his pupil. He eyed him with curiosity and Ralsei had trouble meeting his studying gaze. He wasn’t sure why, but his face grew warmer whenever he was so heavily under his attention. Ralsei’s fingers flexed timidly on the throne arms, drumming lightly as he shifted his gaze down to his lap.

“...I feel…  _ special _ . Like I’m actually meant to be here someday.”

When he sheepishly glanced back up at his Teacher, his heart skipped to see that he was smiling down upon him. It was a fond smile, one that made Ralsei’s stomach flutter and his face grow hotter. His creator was proud of him and he could tell.

“Just as I said,” he praised, “A home made just to your liking. A castle fit for a  **Prince** .”

Ralsei tucked his knees to his chest, making himself smaller as he hid his flustered face behind them. His words were so kind, yet so embarrassing for the newly crowned Prince of the Castle. He would be lying to say that it didn’t feel great to be praised in such a way; that it didn’t feel  _ right _ .

“...You know, Teacher, I’m still very surprised that you were able to make such an incredible building from just magic alone,” Ralsei confessed with a pout, muffled into his lap due to his curled position.

“You’re  _ mumbling _ , Ralsei,” the magician chided as he knelt to the garden floor, gingerly plucking a flower among the field and studying it between his fingers, “And, as I said, it was just something I learned from years of practice. Magic naturally flows between the two of us, my friend, and with it, we have the power to shape the future.”

“ _ Shape the future? _ ” Ralsei echoed, lifting his head so that he could speak more clearly, “How is that, Teacher?”

His Teacher raised the little blue flower to Ralsei, who sat still as he carefully tucked the flower into the fluffy fur of his snowy white hair, a flush rising to Ralsei’s cheeks at the sudden gift as he cocked his head curiously. Rosy pink eyes met with sharp red as his teacher’s hand retreated, and he remained knelt before his creation; an honorable Knight bowed before his humble Prince.

“In the near future, Ralsei, this world is going to change,” he said, “and  _ we _ are the only two who can change it for the better. You must be prepared for the hardships to come, little prince. I am going to teach you how to  _ master your magic _ .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT'S THIS? A KNIGHT AND HIS PRINCE? SHAPING THE FUTURE? WHATEVER COULD IT MEAN?!
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading this chapter! I'm so happy to be sharing this story with you all and I've put a lot of time and work into this plot in hopes of it being enjoyable. Commenting isn't mandatory, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story so far if you have any to share!


	3. An Unexpected Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ralsei's days with his teacher were never lonely and always full of things to do and tasks to fulfill. Everything was simple and easy, just as the goat boy had preferred things to be.
> 
> ...That is, until things weren’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 has arrived! We now get a glimpse at the life of a magician and his obedient apprentice. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Days became weeks as the Teacher and his pupil went about their lives in the dark void. The castle had grown more homely as the magician furnished it further over time, some of its rooms set to resemble a cozy house instead of an elegant palace. A living space was made with a fireplace and dining table, soon followed by the creation of a kitchen to store food and practice meals in, and later, a comfortable bedroom was arranged with the fluffiest bed for Ralsei to nap in.

It was a safe and comfortable spot hidden in the barren world surrounding the Fountain of Darkness, and Ralsei had decided it was the  _ perfect  _ place to be.

They began living on a routine that they followed precisely from day to day. In the mornings, Ralsei would learn to hone his magic ability at the castle entrance. His Teacher had gifted him with a soft red scarf, its wooly fabric imbued with magic made to enhance his sorcery skills and shield him from danger. The magician had taught him spells to heal wounds and special incantations that lull enemies to sleep, skills to produce flickering flames and the practice of levitating objects. It wasn’t long before Ralsei was mastering these abilities, his magic coming to him so naturally and easily that it quickly became second nature to his mundane life.

They would finish their practice and proceed to their next around noon. Ralsei would be taught to do various tasks to be helpful to his Teacher. He had learned to cook an assortment of meals for replenishing health using fire magic, how to patch and tailor clothing in need of repair, and the proper ways to clean and tidy the castle to be presentable. Not that he knew who he was making it presentable  _ for _ other than himself and his creator.

It wasn’t until the evenings that Ralsei had time to himself to do as he pleased while his Teacher left him to his own devices and disappeared to his study for the night. It was during these hours that Ralsei would try to occupy himself, exploring all that his Teacher had left for him to do in their palace home.

Most nights he found himself in the library his creator had provided in one of the lower reaches of the castle, full of hundreds of shelves packed with various books for him to read. History books on the balance of Light and Darkness, science books on the biology of snails, fairytales of heroes and princesses; there were so many to read and he never felt bored.

Other nights, when he wasn’t down in the library, Ralsei would hide up in his bedroom. Books he had collected from the many shelves sat strewn about his wooden writing desk for him to read later in a (mostly) tidy pile. Beside them, he had a stack of parchment sheets prepared along with writing and drawing utensils provided by his Teacher. Pencils, quills, crayons and paints in an assortment of colors. Sometimes Ralsei would practice his writing by creating poems to recite for his Teacher, others he would doodle drawings and let his mind wander through imaginary scenarios, most of which involved him being much taller and stronger.

Every other evening, Ralsei would find himself in the throne room, which he had begun to call the  _ “Royal Garden.” _ Inside, he would tend to the azure flowers, watering them and making sure that they stayed healthy and flourished. Deep down, he knew that this may have been unnecessary; he had read in books that flowers born of pure magic did not need more than the magic flowing within them to stay healthy. However, he had asked his Teacher for a watering can and some gardening tools anyway, deciding that he would help them grow regardless of how pointless it seemed.

Surprisingly, his efforts had proven very slight but notable results as the flowers petals seemed healthier and healthier within the passing weeks. It made the little prince swell with pride.

At times when he was out of ideas to occupy himself in the evenings, he would pass his Teacher’s study, a room that he was not allowed to enter without explicit permission. When he felt particularly curious, he would stand around the door and wonder what his Teacher was doing inside. Occasionally, he would grow bold, pressing a long ear to its surface to hear whatever went on beyond it, to listen for any kind of clue as to what the man was working on in private.

More often than not, no matter how quiet he would be, Ralsei would hear his Teacher’s voice beyond the door, telling him to  _ “find something better to do than wander about the door like a lost puppy” _ . Flustered, he would utter a quick apology before scurrying off to do something else with his time.

Their days were quite simple, following these steady routines of learning and practice from dawn until dusk. It had become what Ralsei looked forward to every morning, a habit he had fallen into. His days with his teacher were never lonely and always full of things to do and tasks to fulfill. Everything was simple and easy, just as the goat boy had preferred things to be.

...That is, until things  _ weren’t _ .

__________

“You’re…  _ leaving? _ ” Ralsei stood together with his Teacher in the entrance hall one evening, his brow furrowed as he wrung his scarf tails in his hands.

The man was already at the door when he had announced the news, his hood over his head and casting an otherworldly shadow over the skin of his face. He had turned to reveal a single glowing red eye shining against the darkness of his obscured face, a striking color that stared ominously upon the little goat. He had explained once that his cloak was a tool for disguise, made to conceal his body in a deep shadow to hide his features from view. It was incredibly jarring to see him in such a way and Ralsei found it hard not to shrink under his changed demeanor.

“Yes,” his mentor confirmed, “I am afraid I will be away for a few days. Do you think you can hold the fort while I am gone?”

He paused to wait for Ralsei’s response, his crimson eye calculative as he stared down upon him. His apprentice fidgeted, finding it hard to hold the man’s gaze when it held such an intimidating glow beneath the shadows of his hood. He had never been asked to be on his own before; in fact, nearly every moment he had was shared with his Teacher. He had never even assumed the possibility that his creator would go anywhere he couldn’t follow.

Ralsei worried his lip between his fangs before giving a slow thoughtful nod, “O-Of course, Teacher. But… may I ask for how long?”

Acknowledging his stress, his Teacher took a step toward the smaller boy, gently placing a comforting hand upon his head. Ralsei leaned into the attention instantly, revelling in the feeling of praise and tenderness, “Approximately  _ five days _ . I have some business to attend to in the East.”

“Beyond the  **Forbidden Door** ?” Ralsei glanced up to his Teacher with wide eyes, “But sir, I thought it was unsafe to pass beyond the wall…!”

“It is indeed unsafe, but unlike you, my friend, I am more than prepared for what I may face,” his Teacher’s tone was calm-- _ nonchalant _ even, as he playfully ruffled the little goat’s hair, “Do not worry for me. I will be alright. Promise me that you will take care of the castle and carry out your studies and duties on your own until I return. You will do that for me, won’t you?”

Ralsei hesitated. Five days alone without his Teacher? He supposed that wasn’t too difficult to do, considering five days was only an inch compared to his current three months of existence. Surely it wouldn’t be too difficult to be on his own for such a short time, would it?

Putting on a more determined face, the little prince gave a confident nod of his head, clenching his fists before him with enthusiasm, “Yes. I’ll do my best, Teacher!”

The magician gave a soft chuckle at his pupil’s eagerness, the pleasant sound causing Ralsei’s face to heat up. He removed his hand from the smaller one’s head, leaving his fluffy hair a bit of a mess as it retreated back under his cloak, “Thank you, my friend. I will be off now. Remember to practice your spells in the mornings and keep the castle orderly.”

“I’ll do my best,” Ralsei chimed once more, and just like that, his Teacher had left the castle, the entrance doors closing behind him with an echoed thud. Ralsei stood alone now, gaze fixed on the blue wood of the doors as his shoulders deflated slightly.  _ Five whole days _ . He was going to be on his own for five days. In a way, he was a bit excited to be trusted on his own in such a way, but a bigger part of him had already begun to feel a bit lonely.

No matter! He could handle this! His Teacher was counting on him and he was going to impress him. Starting tomorrow, he would be the best student he could be! The castle would be spotless when he returned home and he would study his magic diligently. Maybe even learn something new to show off to his creator. 

Ralsei perked up at that thought.  _ Learn something new _ . Surely, that would be exciting? He remembered seeing spellbooks in the library. Maybe he could learn a new kind of magic? Something that would really impress his Teacher?

Filled with excitement, the goat boy headed to the library to begin his search. He rummaged through the hundreds of shelves, climbing bookcase ladders to reach the highests and piled many books into his arms. Spellbooks, cook books, books on crafting and sewing, anything he could learn from. Yes, he would be learning a lot in these next five days; so much that he would surely be the best pupil he could be.

Ralsei balanced the many books in his arms and carried them all the way to his bedroom, laying them out on his writing desk and careful not to topple any inkwells or art utensils. He smiled upon his collections, proud of his decision and happy to have a new motive. Starting tomorrow morning, he would learn something to surely blow his Teacher away!

“ _ Five whole days… _ I won’t let you down, Teacher!”

__________

However, despite his best efforts, by the third day, Ralsei had finally grown quite bored. He had done everything he possibly could to work harder and improve, to practice his spells and try out new tricks, and now he was finally  _ exhausted _ . He had used so much TP in the past few days that his body felt tired out. He had tried cooking so many meals and only few came out as well as he was hoping. Various sewn objects were scattered about his room, ranging from lopsided cloaks to slightly stringy scarves. He had truly worked his hardest to be impressive, only to realize that he still had a long way to go.

Out of ideas and lonelier than ever, the prince found himself sitting on the balcony of his bedroom by evening. He sat perched on the stone wall framing the balcony’s edge, his legs tucked to his chest as he rested his chin on his hugged knees. He sometimes found himself sitting here when he felt particularly thoughtful; when he felt as though he needed answers he wasn’t receiving, or felt bored or lonely while his Teacher was away in his study.

And he could easily confirm that this was the loneliest he had ever felt in his very short life.

Ralsei let out a sigh. On the bright side, everything he had done today hadn’t been completely for naught. He was still full from the meal he had prepared himself just earlier that day, slightly burnt, but a pleasing first attempt of a new recipe for a cake. The castle was spotless from his successful effort of keeping it clean and his precious Royal Garden wasn’t due to be watered until the next day. However, he had read so many books and tomes that his head was spinning and he was dry of prompts to write or doodles to draw to pass the time.

He didn’t think it possible so soon, but he had worked himself so hard and diligently that he was finally out of ideas and motivation. Ralsei was just plain uninspired and now he was missing his Teacher’s company dearly. How silly of him to assume this would be easy.

His rosy eyes watched the horizon, the ever risen cyan stars glowing gently in the blackness of the sky. Not even the beautiful lights shining above him were putting his heart at ease anymore. They just felt too  _ familiar _ ; the same as always, never changing and sharing the same constellations every single day and night. Gazing upon them no longer filled him with joy, but a solemn feeling of melancholy.

Frowning, the little prince let his arms rest at his sides, his padded palms smoothing over the stone below him as he let his legs dangle over the wall’s edge. Well, there was always one thing that eased his mind when he felt particularly low on entertaining ideas. Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath before letting out a soft hum.

The gentle sound of his voice echoed throughout the empty world around him; a soft melody that came to him naturally, a song he felt deep within his heart. He sang and he sang and his sadness seemed to melt away with every note of his sweet lullaby. His heart no longer felt heavy and his stomach was knotted no more.  _ Music… _ Such a wonderful remedy for aches and sorrow!

Ralsei’s eyes fluttered open once more, a small smile on his face as he gazed up at the stars. He had decided now that they weren’t so bad. They were quite pretty, even if they never changed. They were a constant in his life and their beauty was always there for him to admire. He appreciated their company and knew he shouldn’t doubt them again. What a lovely night sky! He could stare up at it for  _ hours _ …

**_...B A N G ! !_ **

Ralsei nearly leaped out of his skin as a sudden explosive sound shook the earth around him. It was loud and thunderous like a lightning strike, the very noise causing Ralsei to stumble backward and onto the balcony floor with a groaning thud. He scrambled back to his feet with the support of the stone walling, one hand gripping the surface tight as the other reached up to adjust his crooked round glasses. What in the world  _ caused  _ that? He looked out beyond the Great Wall leading to the world beyond the empty void…

... _ and took in the sight of what appeared to be a tall pillar of Darkness flowing endlessly into the sky of the Dark World. _

Ralsei’s breath caught in his throat. A  _ Dark Fountain? _ Had a Dark Fountain just come into existence beyond the Great Door? How was that possible? Startled, the boy had turned to face the Dark Fountain behind him, hidden within the center of the palace and still flowing infinitely into the blackness of the sky. They were identical from what he could see, but what could have possibly caused another Fountain of Darkness to arise?

A sudden chill ran up his spine; the ground beneath his boots was rumbling slightly, slowly rising in force and volume.  _ An aftershock _ . The burst of energy was traveling. Raked with panic, Ralsei hurried inside to figure out where to hide or what to even  _ do _ during an earthquake. He didn’t even know they were  _ possible  _ in this world.

But before he could find a place to hide away or shield himself, the pulse of energy had caught up to him, shaking the walls and floor with its strength, but despite the rattling, Ralsei stood firm. The pulse hadn’t harmed him as he thought it would. Instead, it felt as though his very soul was vibrating, stirring within him and rocking his body with echoing tremors. It lasted for mere seconds until finally, the world was still and so was he. He stood within his eerily still bedroom, fluffy pillows toppled from his bed onto the floor and the contents of his writing desk scattered haphazardly. The earthquake had rattled everything in the room, toppled furniture and sewing projects, making an absolute mess.

Ralsei had stayed still for what felt like minutes, his mind and heart raising, but he remained frozen where he stood. His hands clutched at the cloth of his cloak, clinging just above his quaking heart as he willed it to relax. Slowly, he had finally turned to face out the window once more, wide eyes gazing out beyond his balcony--beyond the  _ Great Wall _ and onward to the newly created Fountain of Darkness. It was just as large and powerful as the one he was born from; his  _ origin  _ of existence. And the pulse it had produced resonated within him, reminding him of what it felt like to drift in pure darkness, hollow and cold.

“ _...Teacher _ ,” he exhaled a shaky breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, “ _ What in the world is  _ **_happening_ ** _ over there…? _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit on the shorter side, but carries a shocking new change! Another Dark Fountain has appeared on the horizon? Whatever could that mean?!
> 
> I hope this chapter was enjoyable and not too mundane! Like always, commenting isn't mandatory, but I'd love to hear your thoughts or opinions on the story so far if you have any to share!


	4. Entering the Unknown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Fountain of Darkness has appeared on the other side of the Great Wall. Ralsei worries about what this could mean and does the unthinkable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter of the story so far and also my favorite of what I've written up until now! I hope you enjoy!
> 
> CHAPTER WARNINGS: Intense Violence, Panic Attack

Ralsei’s boot heels clacked on the marbled floor as he paced about the hall leading to the Dark Fountain. He had spent the evening readjusting the castle, upturning toppled furniture and cleaning up broken vases shattered from hitting the floor. He handled damaged plates with care and wiped away spilled ink, salvaged whatever books hadn’t been damaged by the chaotic quake. The Royal Garden flowers seemed unharmed in the tremor, the throne unfazed from its sturdy size. It took an hour and a half to fix everything--to the best of his ability on his own--and he was now stressing over what could have possibly happened.

He couldn’t contact his Teacher, regardless of how much he desired to at the moment, and he was currently on his own in this situation. Yes, the newly spawned Fountain of Darkness appeared to be miles from the Great Wall protecting the empty void, but he couldn’t forget the feeling it made him feel. It was  _ familiar _ . It felt just like the one he lived beneath; the one that had  **_created_ ** him. Even from so far away, he knew it as well as he knew the one he lived in.

What could this mean? Was he supposed to do something in this situation? His Teacher had never informed him of Dark Fountains spawning across the land in bursts like this one had. A geyser spawning so suddenly and without warning was strange to him, leaving him with many questions he wanted--no,  _ needed _ to have answered.

But what was he to do, alone in this empty kingdom, far away from the newly formed Fountain of Darkness? Ralsei found himself back at the doors leading to the Dark Fountain and he stood, gazing over its blue wood with furrowed brows. What answers could he expect to receive, when he was all the way out here?

Shaking fingers reached forward, hesitating before gripping the door handles. Pulling with the weight of his small body, he tugged the doors open and peered inside. As always, the original Fountain of Darkness stood, flowing black across the ground and raising high into the sky above. The ceilingless room was illuminated lightly by the twinkling cyan stars, their faint glow only granting him enough light to make out the walls of the castle barricading the geyser’s base.

It was funny; usually when Ralsei was near the Dark Fountain, it filled him with calm and ease. But now, with so many questions unanswered, he found himself filled with an anxious feeling. What  _ were _ Dark Fountains really? All this time he was sure there was only one, and yet another had risen on the horizon. Did the Dark World need two Fountains to keep its shape? Or were two Fountains  _ one too many? _

His chest felt tight as he slowly closed the doors again. He couldn’t stress about this. He had studies to do tomorrow. Surely he was overthinking these things. The stress of all of this had to wait and hopefully nothing new and scary would happen until his Teacher returned home from his trip.

Ralsei let out a soft sigh as he gripped his scarf tails in his hands, wringing them lightly as he turned on heel and headed for the Royal Garden. “Everything is fine,” he reassured himself in a hushed tone, “Nothing bad will happen. We have work to do tomorrow.”

__________

When he had awaken the next morning, Ralsei had tried focusing on his studies, but found it painfully difficult to do so with the strange new development in his life. He practiced his magic at the Castle entrance as he always did, but couldn’t stop his gaze from drifting to the pillar of Darkness beyond the wall. It was so large he could see it from everywhere he went, just like the original Fountain of his home.

No matter where he was, it felt as though the Fountain was gazing upon him ominously, as if  _ beckoning _ for his attention. Ralsei exhaled nervously as the flames he held hovered in his palms flickered out, his focus gone as he found himself filled with more curiosity and dread. What in the world was that doing there and where was it coming from?

He hastily shook his head, his fluffy ears ruffling with the motion as he turned away from the object of his stress.  _ Focus, Ralsei! _ He reminded himself as he conjured the flames into his palms once more,  _ You don’t need to worry about that right now! _

...But he  _ was  _ worried. He was  _ very _ worried. And surely he was in the right mind to  _ be _ worried, wasn’t he? The Fountain of Darkness was all he’s ever known, what he was born from-- **_created_ ** from by his Teacher’s own summoning magic. Surely, if a Dark Fountain was  _ anyone’s business _ , it was certainly Ralsei’s, wasn’t it?

Yes. Yes, they must be, right? He was born from a Dark Fountain; born of  **pure darkness** .  _ Nothing _ in the world was like Ralsei, not even his Teacher or whatever existed beyond the Great Wall. Who better to know what was happening than Ralsei, the prince born out of Darkness’ well himself?

Ralsei shook his hands out, the flames in his palms disappearing in a flicker as he turned on his heel to gaze back at the Dark Fountain on the horizon with a determined burn in his eyes. However, the flame in his expression burned out slightly as he began to doubt himself again. 

Was this really his business? Yes, he was born from the Dark Fountain. Yes, he was the only creature alive to be born of the purest form of Darkness. But was this really a job for him? Surely his  _ Teacher _ was more qualified to investigate such a thing. He knew more about the Dark Fountains than Ralsei did and was a master of magic and sorcery. Maybe he was on his way to find out what that pillar was himself.

...But then again, what if he wasn’t? What if he was too busy to see what it was? What if he wasn’t investigating and whatever that strange mimic Fountain of Darkness was going to get worse? What if it sent out another pulse and his Teacher would get hurt?  _ What if he was already hurt from the first burst and was unable to tell Ralsei due to their long distance? _

Ralsei’s heart was now racing with dread. He doubted any of this was possible; his teacher was a strong and powerful man. He could take care of himself, right? But if so, why did he feel so scared all of a sudden? So anxious? So worried over a scenario that might not even be real? It was driving Ralsei mad to think about.

Gnawing his lip between his fangs, the little prince had made a decision. It may be dangerous or even reckless, but he couldn’t possibly sit still any longer. Before he could stop himself, he found himself rushing back into the castle to gather things for his trip.  _ He needed to make sure everything was alright, for his Teacher’s sake. _

__________

Now equipped with a small satchel hung around his shoulder to his waist, packed with some neatly packaged healing foods and a book of protection spells, Ralsei had scurried his way up the stone stairs his Teacher had created leading out of the Dark Fountain’s crater and away from their castle home. He hurried his way across the barren stony terrain of the void until he found himself at the Great Door leading out into the rest of the Dark World.

He was already huffing and puffing from his hasty run and found himself kneeling to catch his breath. Running for a long time wasn’t something he was particularly used to, so the decision to hurry to the wall was a big mistake on his part. It wasn’t like he could run all the way from the Great Door to the pillar of Darkness, after all. He was very small and, needless to say, not the most  _ athletic _ person.

Nevertheless, he was here now, and Ralsei found himself gazing up at the towering golden doors standing firm before him. Their rounded frame glowed stark against the deep black of the wall, their intricate design beautifully twisting like vines along the door edges. Ralsei had only ever come this close to this exit once in his life, accompanied by his Teacher and informed to never go beyond its threshold.

“ _ You are not ready for the world beyond the Great Wall, _ ” he had warned, “ _ There are far too many things out there that you don’t understand, and many more things that will not understand  _ **_you_ ** _. _ ”

Ralsei stood up straight once more, his snowy fur prickling with apprehension. To go beyond this door would be to deliberately disobey his Teacher. He could get in immense trouble for taking this bold of an action, be it punishment from his Teacher when he found out or even punishment from whatever creatures and dangers exist beyond these doors. He shouldn’t be disobedient, should he? He shouldn’t take such a dangerous risk.

...But what if something bad  _ did _ happen? What if his Teacher was in trouble and never  _ did _ come home to reprimand him for his disobedience? What if he never saw his Teacher again and that new Fountain of Darkness warped the world’s current state and put everyone in danger?

His little paws clenched into fists as he made a decision. Ralsei was nervous-- _ terrified _ even, but he couldn’t sit idly by. In his heart, he knew something was terribly wrong, and that he had to do something about this. He couldn’t shy away with fear. Something had to be done.

His hands reached for the giant doors and gave them a strong push as he stepped forward out into the Dark World.

__________

The first thing that caught his attention was the gentle tittering sounds that filled the air with a strange melody. Whistles and chirps that seemed to echo into the world beyond. He had read about creatures that sang out in odd songs to call for one another.  _ Birds _ . But he had never imagined they would sound quite like this.

He gazed out beyond the door, his eyes wide as he took in the sight of the new land before him. Colors he had only seen in books and his art supplies filled out the land ahead. A violet path lined the way, framed on each side by tall sideways trees of dark bark. Beautiful red leaves rustled on the gentle breeze, occasionally falling loose of their branches and fluttering out into the air.

Ralsei hadn’t expected the sight beyond the Great Door to be so  _ gorgeous _ . He felt as though he was stepping out into a wonderland.

Timidly, he stared down at the earth beyond the threshold. This was it. He was about to step out into the world for the first time. He couldn’t describe what he was feeling as he tried to steady his thundering heartbeat. Was it safe to go? He felt as though he was alone, but how could he be sure?

With a deep breath, the little prince clung to the door as he cautiously toed at the ground beyond, his boot tapping the dirt as he tested its security. Solid ground. He would be alright to step out then. Bracing himself for whatever may wait for him on the other side, Ralsei inhaled before hopping out beyond the door, both of his black boots tapping into the dirt with a padded thud as he stood still now, eyes closed tight as he waited for the consequence to his bold decision.

A consequence that  _ never  _ came.

Peeking an eye open, Ralsei glanced about the world around him once more. He was still alone. There was no danger to harm him. Just the sound of strange bird songs, the violet dirt below his boots, and the beautiful crooked red leaved trees swaying on the breeze. He was safe in an unfamiliar location.

The hammering in his chest never ceased, but persisted with a feeling of excitement. Ralsei released the breath he was holding, a smile tugging at his lips. He had done it! He had left the empty void and he was now standing at the entrance to the rest of the Dark World! His excitement rattled him until it soon shifted and became concern.

_ He had left the empty void. And he was now standing at the entrance to the rest of the Dark World. _ This was a major leap, but only a fraction of what he was here to do. It was also going against a very specific and easy to follow rule his Teacher had set. His anxiety was returning. This was a  _ very big and dangerous _ decision he had just made.

But this was fine! He had a reason for doing this! It seemed scary, but he had to be brave, didn’t he? He had to investigate that other Fountain and make sure his Teacher was okay. This was all okay because he had a reason for breaking the rules. He would take his reprimanding when he found his Teacher and maybe after, they would investigate the Fountain to the East together.

Ralsei pointed his gaze in the direction of the new Dark Fountain beyond the trees, his determined expression returning as he gave a curt nod. Yes. He was on a mission and he intended to get some answers and find a way to fix things. His Teacher trusted that he could handle being alone and he was going to prove that he had properly earned that independence.

“Alright… Here I go!”

Hands gripping his satchel strap, Ralsei made his way down the path, steps full of purpose despite his nerves. The singing birds filled his ears and occasionally, he caught sight of a few tiny silhouettes fluttering by and perching in the branches. Were they curious of him? Watching him wander on his journey into the unknown? Ralsei offered a friendly smile where he was sure he had seen a little head pop up behind the leaves to peer down upon him, chiming a  _ “hello” _ to greet it.

He glanced about the unfamiliar terrain, overwhelmed with many curious feelings as he gazed upon the trees and the dark grass around him. He was excited, yet nervous. Fearful, yet fascinated. He couldn’t imagine what could possibly be dangerous in such a beautiful and peaceful land, but he wasn’t ready to let his guard down to find out.

Ralsei had soon found himself upon an opening in the trees, leading out into a field of bluish purple. Blades of grass rippled with every brush of the wind, shimmering like a sea before his eyes. He could barely hold back from rushing out into it, to feel it under his boots and brush it with his fingers. This place was so odd, yet so incredible--

“... _ and did ya hear about Rouxls Kaard? _ ”

Ralsei paused in his tracks as a voice caught his ears. He rose his head, glancing around for the source of the sound as he gripped his satchel strap tighter in his hands. He wasn’t alone after all. This was bad. This  _ had _ to be bad.

On the other end of the field wandered two unfamiliar creatures. Their bodies were snake-like, long yet round in their bellies as their tails trailed behind them in the grass. Dark green hoods covered their white heads protectively and on their sides sat sheathed daggers strapped to their hips. It was immediately clear that they could be a danger to the little prince, and he didn’t want to get into a fight.

“Oh, man,  _ Mr. Kaard _ ,” the smaller of the snake men let out a dreamy sigh, “What a hunk! What about him?”

It seemed they hadn’t noticed Ralsei yet, despite him standing frozen out in the open. He needed to take this opportunity to escape while he can. He took hesitant steps backward, his breath caught in his throat as he tipped toed back. Maybe he could hide while they weren’t looking, or even just book it back to the Great Door where he knew he was safe. 

“His highness appointed him as the  _ Duke of Puzzles! _ Can ya believe it?” The slightly taller and thinner snake man continued, his grin wide and eyes shining with excitement, “He’s now in charge of  _ every puzzle in the kingdom! _ I mean, it sucks that all those Jigsawry guys lost their jobs because of that, but hey! We get to see the guy a lot more often now!”

Ralsei was almost in the clear, almost far enough away from the snake men to turn on heel and escape. He knew he could make it. He  _ had _ to get out of here before they noticed. Just a few more steps back and he could dash down the path and back to the Great Door. He was so close...

“Are you for real?! Damn, I can’t believe I missed the news!” The small snake exclaimed with surprise, “That weird earthquake knocked a pot off my shelf and onto my face! Knocked me right out cold! I missed that  _ Tyrant Spade’s _ entire speech because I--”

_ Snap! _

Ralsei let out a startled gasp as he tripped over a twig on the ground. He stumbled back, arms flailing to keep his balance before his boot caught on the root of a tree, sending him tumbling back into the dark grass with a squeak. Oh, no. That was a  _ lot _ of noise. Hopefully they hadn’t noticed--

“ **_Halt!!_ ** Who goes there?!”

... _ Just his luck. _

Panicked, Ralsei scrambled to get back to his feet. His scarf had wrapped around his face haphazardly, obscuring his vision and tugging his glasses askew. He struggled to untangle himself, flustered as he clumsily stepped onto his scarf tails and tripping back into the grass. This was  _ really  _ bad. He couldn’t defend himself like this!

“What the heck is that? A kid?”

“Hey, kid! What’re you doin’ out here? You should know better than to goof off around the wall!”

His efforts to untangle himself were proving useless as he only seemed to keep tripping over his cloak and scarf. Ralsei decided to stop trying and quickly rose both his hands in the air, palms out in surrender as he sputtered a fearful response.

“ _ P-Please don’t attack!! _ ” He wished his voice didn’t crack so pathetically when he shouted that, “ _ I-I’m not here for trouble! I promise! _ ”

“Ah, gee,” he could hear one of the snake men snicker at his current position. Their voices grew closer along with the sound of rustling grass as the snakes slithered their way across the field to him, “You look like a real mess, kiddo. You seriously need a smaller scarf or somethin’.”

“Hold still, bud,” the other sighed, exasperated, “We got ya. Relax.”

Ralsei felt two hands reach out, gently helping him untangle himself from his scarf. His face was heating with embarrassment, feeling absolutely mortified that his first time meeting people from the outside was going so silly and ridiculous. However, he was very grateful that they weren’t hostile people and taken fully by surprise at their kind gesture.

“Geez, kid, how’d ya get so wrapped up?” The voice of the taller snake man teased, “You breathin’ alright in there?”

“ _ Y-Y-Yes, _ ” Ralsei stammered shyly, muffled by the fabric of his scarf as he tugged at it with his paws in hopes of getting it away from his face, “ _ Sorry, you’re--um--having to help me… I-I didn’t mean for this to happen… _ ”

“Don’t sweat it, man,” the smaller snake man’s voice reassured, “Happens to the best of us! Ya really shouldn’t be out here, though. Wall’s off-limits to everyone but guards on patrol. Didn’t yer parents teach ya anything?”

“ _ Teenagers _ , I tell ya,” the other snake scoffed, “Don’t worry, kid, we were the same when we were young. Ah, I think I’ve got it! Hold still, yeah?”

In one careful tug, the snake men had pulled the scarf at the same time, the scarf loosening and finally freeing Ralsei from its confines. The goat prince could finally see again, the removal of his scarf revealing his soft snowy white face, flushed pink from the attention and help he had just received. He reached his hands up to adjust his lopsided green glasses, finally able to give the two guards a better look from up close, “O-Oh, thank goodness. Thank you both so very much…!”

“Hey, no worries, bud--”

The smaller snake paused mid-sentence. As if synchronized, the guards’ cheeky grins had dropped into a look of shock. Their once casual demeanors seemed to stiffen into something more serious as they looked down upon Ralsei, as if aware of something that the boy was not. Ralsei was suddenly feeling very self-conscious and he didn’t like it.

“...U-Um… Is everything… okay?” Ralsei stood to his feet, noticing as the two guardsmen slithered back slightly and seemingly making distance, “Did I do something wrong…?”

The snakes stayed silent. The taller of the two inhaled sharply while the smaller’s brows furrowed with a look of concern. The three stood in awkward, tense silence before the smaller snake rose a hand to wack at the taller’s stomach to catch his attention. The guards turned to look at each other, before turning away from Ralsei. They began whispering amongst themselves and Ralsei could only make out parts of their silent conversation.

“ _ D-Dude, he’s…? _ ”

“ _ Yeah… Yeah, I know. Does that mean we have to…? _ ”

“ **_Hell no_ ** _ , man! I-I’m not gonna… I can’t do that… H-He’s clearly a kid…! _ ”

Ralsei could feel his stomach twisting into knots. He didn’t really like what he was hearing and didn’t exactly want to find out what any of it meant. Nervously, he tugged his scarf up to his nose, clutching his satchel strap close to his chest as he began to slowly back away. Right. He wasn’t supposed to be here right now. He had to find his Teacher and investigate the Fountain of Darkness in the east. Maybe he could slip away while these two were whispering among themselves--

“ **_Hey._ ** ”

The smaller guard’s tone was suddenly colder than it had been minutes ago, his tone full of authority as he held out a hand, his other rested on the blade on his hip. Ralsei’s blood ran cold at the threatening gesture.

“ _ Where do ya think yer goin’? We’re not done here. _ ”

Before Ralsei could react, the taller guard had slithered swiftly around him, blocking his back to keep him from escaping. He suddenly felt very trapped and his earlier fear was returning tenfold now that he was seemingly in a worse predicament than he had been just minutes before. What an awful time to be clumsy.

“Look, pal,” the tall snake man’s tone had also changed, gentler than the small snake, but still very serious and intimidating, “We don’t wanna hurt ya, alright? But you’re going to have to come with us.”

Ralsei swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.  _ Come with them? _ What could they possibly need him for? He turned so that he could glance between the two guards, afraid of having his back exposed to either of his potential enemies, “W-What…? Why? Where are we g-going?”

“We guard this area to watch out for  **_Lightners_ ** ,” the small guard explained with a bite in his tone, “It’s the King’s orders to ki--...  _ capture _ any of you we find. Please don’t make this difficult for us.”

**_Capture_ ** _ Lightners? _ Why in the world would they want to do that? Ralsei had read of the History of Light and Dark in many books during his evenings in the library; how the Lightners and Darkners used to live in harmony before the Lightners had disappeared, leaving the Darkners in the shadows of the Dark World. But it was such an old tale. Why would they be out to capture people from the Light World?  _ And more importantly… _

“ _ L-Lightners? _ But I’m not one,” Ralsei paled, “I’m a  _ Darkner _ . Born here in the Dark World…!”

“Nice try, but we weren’t born yesterday,” the tall guard scoffed, drawing his blade from its sheath, “C’mon, kid, don’t make this any more difficult than it needs to be. Just come quietly and it’ll be easier for all of us.”

Ralsei trembled where he stood. The two guards were closing in on him and he felt terribly cornered. How in the world had he gotten wrapped up in a misunderstanding this big? And so soon into his journey? Perhaps his Teacher was right. He  _ wasn’t _ ready for the world beyond the Great Wall.

How could he possibly flee from this situation? These guards had proved to be very fast and he knew he couldn’t outrun them. And those daggers… Would he  _ have  _ to fight them? The thought of having to fight his way out of this caused a shiver to roll down his spine. He never liked the idea of fighting. He was a  _ White Mage _ and battle wasn’t something he specialized in. His attack and defense wasn’t very high to begin with and his Teacher was very clear in informing him of where his talents lied.

A hand had gripped Ralsei’s shoulder, causing his heart to leap into his throat as he turned to see the taller guard had reached out to secure him while he was caught up in a confused daze. In his peripheral, he could see the smaller guard lunging forward, reaching out to catch his other arm.  _ No, no, no, _ he couldn’t let himself be captured for whatever reason!

“N-No--  **_Leave me alone!!_ ** ” The prince cried out, his nerves finally getting the better of him as his body grew tense. He closed his eyes shut tight and in a sudden bursting rush, a wall of flame had wrapped itself around him, spreading outward and smarting the two guards, who recoiled in surprise. The flames flickered out as quickly as they had sparked and the guards had released his arms. Ralsei had found a chance to escape.

Quickly, he pushed past the smaller snake and dashed his way down the path leading back to the Great Door. He had to get out of here and back into the empty void where he belonged; where he was  _ safe _ . His heart pounded loudly in his ears as he ran, and through the thundering, he could hear the baffled voices of the guards and the sound of grass rustling as they swiftly slithered after him. No, this was bad. They were too fast for him and Ralsei  **_knew_ ** .

He was just about to round his way through the red-leaved trees when he suddenly felt a sharp pain slash across his cheek. One of the guards had thrown a blade at him, cutting a graze into the soft skin of his face and he yelped in pain as he toppled to the violet dirt. He had landed face first into the ground, coughing and choking on dust kicked up from the force. His glasses had clattered into his face, the lenses cracking upon impact.

“ _ Got ‘em _ ,” he heard the taller guard’s voice hiss out from behind him, his tone far from playful and something within it almost sounded  _ guilty _ , “Sorry, kiddo, but you’ve left us with no choice.”

Still reeling from his tumble and the pain in his cheek, Ralsei pushed himself dizzily to his knees, turning to face his assailants with wide and fearful eyes. The two guards had caught up to him just as quickly as he had expected and were now looming over his quivering form. Their expressions were dark with seriousness, but hidden in their eyes was a glimmer of  _ pity _ as they gazed down upon the boy’s meek form. They didn’t want to do whatever it was that they were about to do with him and he could see it clearly.

“...P-Please,” Ralsei’s voice wavered as his eyes pricked with tears, his hands shakily raised in surrender once more as he begged, “ _ Please _ , I can’t go with you. I-I’m looking for someone and I need to find him. I don’t want to fight…!”

“Look, man, we don’t  _ want  _ to either,” the smaller snake man pointed his blade to the goat boy’s face, warning, “but we have a duty to fulfill. We wish things were different, too, but the King gave us distinct orders to eliminate all outsiders. Come with us  _ quietly _ and we’ll do our best to help _ lighten your sentence-- _ ”

“  **_HE WILL DO NO SUCH THING._ **

A distorted voice echoed among the trees as if carried on the wind and the three had frozen. The guards glanced about, their eyes going wide as they searched for the source of the strange voice. There was no one around but the three of them from what they could see. They were alone in the forest; not even the birds were singing their strange songs anymore.

“W-What the hell…?” The taller guard breathed out shakily, “What was that?”

“ _ Hey! _ ” Called the other, turning to look around them as he nervously searched about, “Who said that?  _ Show yourself!! _ ”

“  **_WITH PLEASURE._ ** “

It was all too fast for either of them to react. A rush of black bursted into view, slamming itself into the smaller guard at a crushing speed. Ralsei let out a gasp as he took in the sight of a dark, hooded figure, pinning the snake man into the dirt with horrible strength. The guard choked and gasped for air as the hooded figure had his throat crushed beneath his boot, his eyes wide with terror as he gazed up upon his face from below and clawed pathetically at his leg.

That hood… Ralsei  _ recognized  _ it.

“ _ Y-You…! _ ” The taller snake man sputtered, an equal look of horror on his face as he shakily pointed a second blade at the newcomer, “ _ You’re the guy…! T-The guy from the  _ **_castle_ ** _ \-- _ ”

In another swift movement, almost too fast for the eye to see, the hooded figure swiped a sharp, painful kick into the other guard’s jaw. A harsh, sickening crack filled Ralsei’s ears as the guard fell back into the dirt, gargling as if choking on blood. It was all happening so fast and Ralsei couldn’t find his voice. He quivered, raising his hands to his mouth to hold in whatever terrified sound was preparing to bubble out of him. This… This wasn’t want he wanted. He didn’t want to get taken away, but he didn’t want anyone to get  _ hurt _ .

“ **_You two are quite bold, threatening my pupil in such a way,_ ** ” the hooded figure stood slowly to his full, towering height, his foot still pinning the first guard painfully into the ground as he leered upon the other he had just collapsed,  _ “ _ **_Though, I suppose I do understand. You were only doing your duty, right?_ ** _ ” _

From where Ralsei sat in stunned silence, he had caught a side glimpse of the face beneath the hood. A face shadowed back, an single glowing red eye peered out from beneath the void of his face, and below it, the red outline of a large disturbed mouth split his face in a wide and cruel grin.

Ralsei knew now, without a doubt, that this hooded beast was his Teacher. But this expression was one that he had never seen on him before. He looked like an entirely different person; a frightening contrast from the gentle, stoic man Ralsei had come to know.

_ “ _ **_I suppose I will have to get rid of you,_ ** _ ” _ his Teacher’s voice was sickeningly calm despite all of the agonizing violence he had just displayed,  _ “ _ **_We cannot have you two alerting anyone of the ‘Lightner’ you had just witnessed, can we? No… You must be punished._ ** _ ” _

The magician slowly rose a gloved hand into the air, the horrified guards and the prince watching with fear with every agonizing second as his hand crackled with violet sparks. He snapped his fingers and the air crackled with electricity. The ground beneath the pinned snake man began to crack before it suddenly busted into a dark hole of black under his back. Glitching pixels climbed their way out of the strange hole, growing into rising tendrils that wrapped around his body, grabbing and pulling him down into the darkness. He tried to scream, but could only gag and grunt as the man kept his foot at his throat, shoving him down into the dark.

Ralsei couldn’t tear his eyes away as the snake man was slowly disappearing into the dark until he heard a loud shriek. He snapped his gaze to the other snake man. Another dark portal had spawned behind him as well, more of the black tendrils grabbing his body and slowly tugging him backward into the darkness. It was horrible, seeing the fear in his eyes as he struggled hopelessly against the darkness’ strength.

“ _ N-No--! Topaz! No, no, no,  _ **_please_ ** _ \--!! _ ” The guard screamed and coughed as he reached out for the other disappearing guard being shoved into the dark, “ _ Please-- Please don’t do this--  _ **_I don’t want to DIE--!!_ ** ”

The hooded man sneered at the begging snake, his grin seeming to widen further with amusement as he watched the darkness consume him.

_ “ _ **_What a shame. I am afraid you never had a choice._ ** _ ” _

With fading gurgling screams, the two snakes disappeared into the dark portals, and in a loud crackle, they closed back up and fizzled out of existence. The portals were gone, and with them, the guards had also disappeared. It was as if they had never existed to begin with.

Ralsei sat petrified on the ground, his small form shivering as his eyes darted between the empty spaces the guards had once been. They were just…  _ gone _ . His Teacher had completely obliterated them out of existence. The two snakes that had helped when he was tangled in his scarf, the snakes that had been too conflicted to kill him despite their orders.  **_Gone_ ** in an instant.

Slowly, the hooded man turned to face the shaken boy collapsed at his side, and Ralsei felt a chill run up his spine under the attention. His crazed grin had vanished from his face, but his striking crimson eye remained, staring dangerously upon the little prince. He didn’t want to be afraid. This was his  _ Teacher _ , after all. But after what he had just done--what Ralsei had just  **_seen_ ** \--he couldn’t stop his body from recoiling as he began to step toward him.

Every step he took closer, Ralsei couldn’t stop himself from pushing back, scrambling across the dirt to keep distance between himself and the frightening man. He pushed as far as he could until he felt his back pressed against the bark of one of the many crooked forest trees. He couldn’t run anymore. He was trapped and he didn’t know what to expect. The tears in his eyes had finally begin to spill, trailing down his cheeks and staining his soft white fur. He rose his hands to shield himself from whatever was to come.

He was instead met with a gentle hand caressing his injured cheek, the familiar tingle of healing magic warming his skin and closing the small gash that had been torn into his face.

Hesitantly, Ralsei opened his eyes to gaze up at the frightening shadowed face of his Teacher, his watery eyes met with that same striking red. He sat, immobile. He was too afraid to move, to do something more that might upset his creator. Ralsei was already in enough trouble and he was sure of it.

Black flickering pixels rose around them in a flittering rush, and when they subsided, they were in a new location: the entrance hall of their castle home. His Teacher had transported them back home to the empty void with his magic. They were truly alone and safe now. Ralsei would have fainted on the spot if he wasn’t so alert and shaken.

Kneeling before him, the magician was now at the boy’s level, and he reached up to tug back his hood. As the hood was removed, the shadow casted over his skin faded away, and Ralsei could now get a good look at the familiar face behind his magic mask. However, his expression wasn’t one of anger like he had expected. His face, instead, held a look of genuine concern; the kind of face a stressed guardian would have when gazing upon their reckless child.

“Ralsei,  _ what were you  _ **_thinking_ ** _? _ ”

Ralsei remained speechless, his eyes wide, yet  _ exhausted _ with fatigue. He felt as though all of his fear from the night before, his adrenaline that he gathered from the start of his “journey” to it’s horrifying end, was finally catching up to him. His heart rate had risen and fallen so many times in only a day and he was ready to collapse right there.

The tears in his eyes only began to spill more as he curled in on himself. A hysterical smile pulled his expression as he finally let the panic and fear take him, his body quaking as he hugged his knees to his chest. He couldn’t meet his Teacher’s gaze--couldn’t  _ bear  _ to see him stare at him with such worry. Breathing in a shaky breath, he whimpered out a reply.

“... _ I-I… I wasn’t… I w-wasn’t thinking… I’m so  _ **_sorry_ ** _ … _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TALK ABOUT A NIGHTMARE SITUATION--
> 
> Fun fact about this chapter: I was so excited to write this one that I literally wrote and completed it in like less than 5 hours. It's, of course, gone through lots of editing and rewriting, but it was a real treat to finally have something huge happen in this story! This will not be the last chapter to have big ordeal happen!
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading this chapter! As always, comments aren't mandatory, but I'd love to hear your thoughts! <3


	5. The Kingdom Beyond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Teacher has another duty beyond the Great Door, and this time, he does not go alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DON'T WORRY! THIS CHAPTER IS GOING TO BE WAY LESS INTENSE THAN THE CHAPTER BEFORE IT!
> 
> This is another long chapter and a bit dialogue heavy. However, it was very fun to write! I hope you enjoy! A new face is going to make an appearance. ;)

Months had passed since the fight beyond the Great Wall and ever since things had begun to change. Their daily routines stayed the same as they always did; practicing magic and cooking, various menial tasks. However, more and more frequently, Ralsei spent his days alone as his Teacher disappeared to tend to matters outside of their Empty Kingdom; matters he had yet to disclose with his pupil.

Unfortunately, the Prince’s rebellious adventure had not gone unpunished. The magician had become much more strict with his apprentice since that day, working him harder during their magic and combat training and becoming more restrictive of his wandering access. Curfews were set to ensure that Ralsei wouldn’t be going anywhere he shouldn’t be during his hours of free time and the boy had found himself hiding up in his bedroom a lot more often during the evenings. Whether or not Ralsei wanted to, he would often lose the will to go anywhere he wasn’t allowed even without being warned not to.

A week or so after their dangerous reunion, Ralsei had cautiously attempted to bring up the situation in the field beyond the Door, asking his Teacher why those guards were planning to hurt him and where he had sent them with those strange portals. He never received proper answers, but simple vague replies explaining that they were _misguided in their judgement of him_ and that it didn’t matter where they were; all that mattered was that Ralsei was _safe_.

Ralsei also made sure to question what the guards had said, claiming him to be a _Lightner_ when he was born from the Dark. As if anticipating the question, his Teacher had gifted him with a new item: a green mage hat to match the prince’s green cloak. He placed the hat upon his head and the magic embedded in it had shadowed the soft white fur of his body to appear as black as night, his once rosy eyes now a bright glowing white behind his glasses. He resembled his Teacher whenever he hid under the magic of his cloak hood.

“With this, they won’t be able to tell the difference,” the man had said, “Keep that hat and problems like that will never arise again.”

Sometimes, his Teacher would go away for a day. Others, he would be away for a little over a week. He would leave Ralsei with tasks to fulfill, things that would better his magical prowess and little things to practice while he was alone. Spells, creative activities, recipes; he allowed his apprentice to indulge in anything that could keep him _busy_.

The prince had found himself learning many new things this way, honing skills he had once done poorly in and making amazing progress in his new hobbies. Sewing clothing had become a therapeutic talent of his and he had learned to make a wide selection of outfits. Tunics and capes, sweaters and dresses; he soon had a wardrobe of outfits at his disposal that he wasn’t quite sure of what to do with. He was quite happy with the clothing his Teacher had provided him, but making more filled him with a happiness he couldn’t get enough of.

Baking was another of his favorite hobbies. Making desserts and sweets for healing was a joy of his and he tried to make something better and more delicious with every new recipe. His Teacher had confessed to not needing to eat, but always humored Ralsei’s experiments nonetheless and the prince tried his hardest to bake cakes and pies that would surely blow his Teacher away.

However, despite his best efforts to move on about his days and focus on more pleasant things, the little prince had often found himself thinking about that day beyond the Great Wall. It was as if the scene had imprinted itself in his mind; the awful sight of the small guard choking under his Teacher’s boot, the horrible crack of bone when he had kicked and bloodied the taller guard’s jaw, _the strange black portals that reached out and dragged the helpless men into nothingness and never to be seen again_.

It made Ralsei shudder and feel terribly sick without fail. He would sometimes have trouble meeting his Teacher’s crimson gaze, remembering the chilling sight of his glowing eye and sadistic grin. There were nights where he couldn’t rest due to the nightmarish memories finding their way into his dreams. Sometimes he would even freeze up if he thought about it too long, his body raked with shivers and his hands becoming unsteady.

It wouldn’t last too long though, due to his Teacher being there to ground him. He would praise him, speaking to him in soft, dulcet tones that eased the tension out of his body. Sometimes he would even place a gentle palm upon his head, his gloved fingers rubbing tenderly against his scalp as he ruffled at his hair.

These gestures were a stark contrast to the hell Ralsei had witnessed on that fateful afternoon and it made the things he had seen feel like nothing more than a distant memory with every passing day. The prince wasn’t sure if he should feel thankful or uneasy.

__________

“Will you be leaving again today, Teacher?” Ralsei asked one evening as the two stood in the entrance hall once more. It had been half a year since Ralsei’s awakening and three whole months since the situation beyond the Great Wall. He was now very used to his Teacher’s disappearances, having learned to grow comfortable on his own and keep himself from feeling too lonely.

His Teacher was standing near the entrance, his back to his pupil as he reached to his shoulders and pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, his long thick hair tucked away within. When he turned to face Ralsei, the ever familiar blackness of his face and chilling red eye filled the goat with discomfort. Even now, he couldn’t help but to glance away from the attention, his rosy eyes focused on his hands clasped before him to avoid eye contact.

“I will,” the teacher replied as he peered down upon his sheepish student, “But… I will not be going alone this time.”

Ralsei blinked, tilting his head back up to meet his Teacher’s eye, “ _Not going alone?_ Whatever do you mean, sir?”

“I mean I will not be leaving this castle alone today,” the man repeated as he moved to lean his back against the entrance door frame leisurely, arms crossed over his chest, “You will be accompanying me this time, Ralsei.”

The prince was taken aback by this, his eyes going wide as he looked to his Teacher with disbelief. He was going to leave the Empty Kingdom and Ralsei could actually _join him_ this time? He never even considered that this would be something he was allowed to do! Especially not after…

“...Do you really think I’m ready, Teacher?” Ralsei’s tone was uncertain as he glanced down to his hands once more, his brows furrowed as he twiddled his thumbs bashfully, “I mean… After what had happened before? And you had warned me that it was dangerous beyond, too--”

“ _Do not fret about what happened in the past,_ ” his Teacher chided sternly, “There is no need for stressing over such things. I am asking you to join me because I _trust you_ , Ralsei. I trust that you will be obedient while accompanying me beyond the Wall as my **_apprentice_ **. Besides, you deserve more than to be locked away here, unable to experience the world beyond.”

Ralsei’s cheeks reddened. He trusted him, even after he had so deliberately gone against his commands? After nearly getting himself killed and causing two other people to disappear entirely from existence? He honestly couldn’t believe this.

Nevertheless, the boy gave a light nod in response, “...Thank you, Teacher. Um-- Should I pack anything?”

“No need,” the magician waved a dismissive hand before stepping forward. He reached into his cloak and when his hand reemerged, he held a smaller hooded grey cloak much like his own. He placed it into Ralsei’s waiting hands, and the boy smoothed the pads of his thumbs along the soft fabric, “All you will be needing is this. And be sure to wear that hat I gave you for good measure.”

__________

In a flittering of black particles, the Teacher and his apprentice had transported to a new location, one the likes of which Ralsei had never seen.

They stood before a castle far larger and more grandiose than their own in the empty void. Dark brick framed its walls, standing several stories high. Large card-like statues decorated the tall entrance wall, a single card to represent each of the four suits on either side of the gated entrance. However, despite the equality of the individual cards, a second giant spade sat in the center of them all, painted in a deep blue upon the surface in a daunting size.

Much like their castle back home, it seemed to be surrounding a tall pillar of Darkness, identical to the Dark Fountain in their empty kingdom. Ralsei quickly connected that this must be the Fountain of Darkness he had been seeing in the distance beyond the Great Wall’s border. The realization left him stunned where he stood.

“This place is _enormous_ ,” Ralsei gasped. He was snapped out of his daze upon seeing that his Teacher was already making his way for the entrance. The goat hurried to meet his Teacher’s long strides toward the gates, “Where are we, Teacher?”

“We are standing in the _Kingdom of Cards_ ,” his Teacher explained cooly, his cloak billowing gently on the soft breeze with every step, “our eastern neighbor. Do behave yourself. The entire country is quite… _tense_ as of the moment.”

_The Eastern Kingdom of Cards_. It sounded as grand as its very castle had appeared to be. Fascinated, yet intimidated, Ralsei gazed up upon the glorious tower of a building. As he stared from beneath the shadowy shelter of his hood, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the painted spade above was glowering down upon him. It was as if it were a face judging his pathetic form, the entrance gate a jaw grinning viciously at him in a threatening manner. The little prince felt smaller than ever.

Standing guard at the front gates were two familiar, yet new shapes. Snake people similar to the ones Ralsei had met all that time ago stood tall on either side of the door, but unlike the duo that had attacked him, they were adorn in red armor. Their hoods were replaced with helmets, guarding plates shielding their eyes from view and shining in the blue flames of the nearby torch lights. Ralsei had found himself shrinking behind his Teacher as the two guards turned to face them.

“ _My Knight_ ,” the guard on the right greeted with surprise and she and her partner stood to attention before bowing in respect, “We were not expecting you today.”

“ **_How could you if I never alert you of my arrival?_ ** ” The Teacher spoke dryly, his voice warped and causing Ralsei to flinch. It was the same distorted voice he used when fighting the guards all those months ago and this was Ralsei’s second time hearing it since then, “ **_I am here to meet with His Highness. And I have also brought a guest._ **”

“Yes, sire,” the left guard nodded curtly, standing back to his full height before motioning a gloved hand behind him beyond the gate, signaling another who Ralsei could not see. Shortly after, the gates to the castle were rising slowly, heavily lifted upward with the sound of rumbling chains and cranking cogs, “Please, come in. He should be at his throne at this hour.”

The hooded magician wasted no time in making for the entrance, his poise high and dignified as he made no motion to acknowledge the guards anymore. Ralsei followed after him quickly, attempting to mimic his posture but only appearing awkward and flustered as he tried to stand tall. He spared a glance both ways as he passed the guards, neither of them turning to face him as he entered the hall leading into the castle’s maw.

“ _...They’re snake people,_ ” Ralsei murmured to himself.

“They are called **_Rudinns_ **,” his teacher explained, his voice no longer warped and echoing.

As they wandered through the entrance hall, they were greeted by other guards of all shapes and sizes who bowed to them in respect. More snakeish knights in red-- _Rudinns_ as Ralsei now knew them to be called--and large blue blobbish clerics with heart shaped heads lined the halls. All stood stiff in their bows, not daring to gaze upon the magician and his small apprentice.

Ralsei wondered just how important being a _“Knight”_ really was. It was clearly a high status, judging by how everyone treated his Teacher so royally. But what set the title apart from the many soldiers they were passing? Was it his strength? His _skill?_

The two had reached the doors of what appeared to be an elevator after their short trip through the castle halls. His Teacher stepped forward to press the button beside it and its doors opened immediately, as if it were waiting for the two of them to arrive. The man stepped aside and gestured for the prince to enter.

“This lift will lead us to the King’s throne,” he explained as Ralsei stepped inside and he joined behind him, “As I warned before, this kingdom is quite tense. It is best that you do not bother the royals here in any way. _Understood?_ ”

Ralsei nodded, replying with a soft _“yes sir.”_ As the elevator doors had closed and his Teacher had pressed a button at its side, he couldn’t shake the sudden feeling of nervous dread that rose from that warning. Just what kind of person was this King that they were meeting?

__________

After wandering a flight of stairs and passing a few more bowing guards and servants on their way down a long hallway, the Teacher and his pupil had reached the stairs leading up into the throne room. Once they had approached the doorway, the magician rose a hand to halt the boy behind him who paused obediently. Ralsei looked up to his Teacher, eyeing the back of his hood and waiting for instruction.

The man hadn’t turned to face him as he spoke a command, “Wait here. You are not to move from this spot until I return. I may be away for a while. **_Behave yourself_ ** _._ ”

With that final warning, he was already headed up the stairs to the throne entrance as Ralsei hurriedly replied with another _“yes sir.”_ He was suddenly alone in an unfamiliar hallway in an unfamiliar palace and the realization of this settled in quick. Ralsei was used to being alone, of course, but being alone in a new location was frighteningly different. He turned to glance behind himself down the long and currently empty hallway, suddenly feeling awfully tiny within its walls.

He took a deep breath and decided to lean his back against the wall beside the throne entrance, beginning to wonder why he was here. Was there a reason his Teacher had brought him to the Card Castle? Was this some kind of _test?_ If he truly pitied Ralsei for being alone in their Empty Kingdom, why was he to be left alone so soonly into their trip? Perhaps that last question was a bit selfish to think of on his part; his Teacher was a _very_ busy man and had more important things to do than to babysit a needy student--

“ _Hey, whatcha standing around for?_ ”

Ralsei nearly jumped out of his skin as a boyish voice at his side caught his attention. He stumbled, turning to face the stranger he didn’t even hear approach his side and found himself meeting face to face with another hooded person. He was smaller than him, his eyes shadowed entirely from beneath his blue hood, his soft white face visible from his wet black nose downward. His blue tongue peaked out of his mouth as he gazed up at Ralsei with a tilt of his head and the sight reminded Ralsei of a curious puppy.

Ralsei stood stiffly still, petrified as the stranger continued to stand next to him and stare up into his hood-hidden face. Even though he was hidden behind the masking void of black, Ralsei couldn’t shake the fear that the smaller boy was staring right into his eyes. The goat was stunned silent, frozen in the strange stare-down that had seemingly begun between them.

“... _Well?_ ” The blue hooded boy pushed again for an answer, “Whatcha standing around for?”

A feeling of anxiety washed over Ralsei, spurring him to scramble out a reply, “ _I-I-- Um-- I’m not just-- Erm…_ I’m w-waiting… for someone…?”

“For the _tall scary guy?_ ” The boy pressed onward, leaning forward expectantly to stare up into his shadowed face and Ralsei was suddenly very aware of how close he was. They were mere inches apart and practically breathing each other’s air!

Ralsei shifted away from the boy, taking a step back to regain his personal space, “ _T-Tall scary guy…?_ ”

“Yeah! The tall scary guy with the weird voice and the creepy cloak,” the puppy faced boy clarified, “He’s always talking with my dad alone and I’m not allowed to listen.”

Tall guy, weird voice, and cloak. It was obvious that he was referring to Ralsei’s Teacher. Ralsei felt his face grow warm at the boy’s description of his creator. Was that what he looked like to others? Intimidating and frightening? Ralsei figured he understood where that impression was coming from--especially after more _recent events_ \--but he was just so used to his Teacher that none of these things ever occurred to him. And talking to this boy’s _father?_ Surely, he didn’t mean…

“...Your… _dad?_ ” Ralsei inquired.

“Uh-huh,” the blue hooded boy replied with a nod, “He’s talking with him right now, too!”

_Oh, goodness. This strange young teen was the prince of the castle._

Ralsei resisted the urge to let out the frightened noise that caught itself in his throat. How could he be so dense? The boy’s outfit had a **_spade_ ** printed on the chest and everything! A fellow prince had just wandered over to greet him and he hadn’t even realized. Did it count as _“bothering the royals”_ if a royal _“bothered”_ him first?

“ _O-Oh--!_ ” Ralsei stuttered, feeling foolish as he bow deeply before the small prince in respect, “My apologies, your highness…! Forgive me for not knowing--”

“Whoa, hey, relax--” The spade prince rose his hands to dismiss the polite gesture, “You don’t have to do that! It makes me feel weird. Just call me Lancer.”

_Prince Lancer?_ What a name. It felt so regal, yet _simple_ . Was it normal for princes to ask to be spoken to so casually? Ralsei supposed that he, himself, would feel nervous if people spoke to him with such a title. _Prince Ralsei_ … The very thought of the phrase had his palms sweating.

“...U-Um… I’m sorry, Lancer,” Ralsei replied shyly, standing from his bow and back to his proper height.

“So, you’re waiting for tall scary guy,” Lancer hummed as he nodded sagely, gripping a blue gloved hand to his chin as if to stroke a non-existent beard on his furry face, “I see, I see… Is he your dad, too?”

The goat boy sputtered at the question. His _Teacher?_ His own **_father_ ** _?_ Where did he get _that_ idea? As he struggled to find a response, Ralsei found himself thinking over the question more deeply. _Was_ his Teacher his father? He had never thought of this before. His Teacher did create him after all, summoning him right out of the Dark Fountain with his own magic. If he created him, would that not make him his father in some way? Even so, the very thought was strange to him.

“...I’m… _not sure…?_ ” Ralsei murmured softly, glancing away from his fellow prince, “I don’t… think so… _B-But I don’t really know either..._ ”

“Hmm… _Tall scary_ **_maybe_ ** _dad_ ,” Lancer concluded with another nod, dropping his hands back to his chubby sides, “Anyway, sounds boring to just stand around here.”

Ralsei bit his lip, unsure of how to respond. He was almost certain that he wasn’t supposed to talk to anyone in the castle without his Teacher’s permission, but even so, it felt incredibly rude to blatantly ignore the prince himself. Conflicted, he kept his mouth shut as he stared down at the black flooring and tried to contain his nerves. He could feel Lancer’s eyes on him as he curiously studied him.

“...Sooo, my room is pretty cool,” the blue prince stated as he tilted his head to glance under Ralsei’s hood again, a toothy childish grin on his face, “It’s got all kinds of neat stuff! If you wanna come hangout? It’ll be less boring than standing around being bored!”

The goat boy stirred at this. The _prince of the castle_ was inviting him to _hangout_ in his room? Ralsei looked to him, incredulous. They had hardly known each other for minutes and Lancer was already trusting in him enough to offer such a personal invitation? Ralsei had never _“hung out”_ with anyone before. Not that he knew any people to hangout with to begin with. All of his time was spent with his Teacher in a barren land of nothingness.

But what an exciting thought. Being able to spend time with someone new. Making a new _friend_ …

Ralsei quickly grounded himself back to reality and shook away the thought. What was he thinking? His Teacher ordered for him to _stay right where he was_ and he was not going to disobey his commands again. Not after the last time. He didn’t want to upset him again.

Ralsei remained silent, turning his shadowed face away from Lancer’s expectant gaze, “...I-I’m sorry, but… I _cannot_.”

Silence rose thickly between them and the mage boy found it difficult to look back to the blue prince. He felt absolutely awful shutting down such a friendly request. He wanted to spend time with him; to know him more than he currently did and make a new **_friend_ ** . But he couldn’t disobey his Teacher. Not anymore. _Not after the last time._

The longer the silence carried, the sicker Ralsei felt with himself. His anxious thoughts raced as he stole a glance toward the boy beside him. Lancer’s expression was thoughtfully blank, a poker face that the disguised prince couldn’t quite read. It shook his heart with apprehension and he was worried he had disappointed or even _offended_ him. Oh, how Ralsei wanted to disappear right now...

“...Well, okay,” Lancer had answered with a shrug. With a twirl on his heel, Lancer turned to stand beside Ralsei, leaning his back against the wall and stuffing his hands into the pockets of his black leotard-like clothing, “Then I guess we’re gonna have to just hangout here!”

Ralsei’s cheeks grew hot with surprise. _Really?_ He was just going to spend time with him anyway?

“I-I-- You--” The goat stammered dumbly, shaking his head fervently and flusteredly, “You d-don’t have to do that! _I don’t want to be a bother…!!_ ”

“You’re not _bothering_ me, man!” Lancer laughed, a happy and bubbly noise that made Ralsei’s stomach flutter, “I wanna hangout! Beats you being all alone! Besides, you seem like a real peach! I like talking to you!”

Ralsei’s face was practically on fire at this point. _A peach?_ He had never _ever_ been complimented in such a way and he couldn’t find the words to respond. An embarrassed noise bubbled out of his throat before he could stop it and Lancer giggled with amusement. _Was this what it was like to have a_ **_friend_ ** _?_

“So, let’s talk!!” Prince Lancer grinned another of his charming goofy grins, “Tell me about yourself, creepy hood person!”

__________

“ _...and that’s why I’m not allowed to ride my bike in the kitchen anymore!_ ”

Ralsei and Lancer had been sitting together on the black floor of the hall, talking and laughing for who knows how long. Ralsei wasn’t sure if they had been chatting for minutes or hours, but regardless of time, he was the happiest he had felt in a while. Lancer was full of wonderfully wacky stories to tell and hearing about his adventures was an absolute joy.

While the goat boy didn’t have much to give on his end of the conversation--be it secret or simply _too dull_ \--he thoroughly enjoyed listening to anything Lancer had to tell him. The blue prince was very talkative; almost _too_ talkative. He seemed to have hours and hours of stories and thoughts to share and Ralsei hadn’t felt bored for even a second.

The whole experience filled Ralsei with a feeling he had never felt before, an _emotion_ he couldn’t quite describe. It was fresh and new and made him feel very… **_alive_ **. He wondered if he was just giddy to know someone new or if this was truly what it felt like to spend time with pleasant company. It made his heart feel happy and full.

“Hey, hey, I just realized something,” Lancer piped up as he shifted to cross his legs, leaning forward on his hands, “We’ve been talking a while and I don’t even know your _name!_ What’s your name, creepy hood?”

Ralsei had been coming down from a giggle at Lancer’s earlier story, but found himself halting in his laughter at the sudden question. He wanted to know his _name?_ Was Ralsei even allowed to tell people? He would hate to spill information he shouldn’t, even if it was simply common courtesy to share your name with someone you were speaking to for a while.

The goat prince paused to think over a proper response, something that would satisfy the ever curious Lancer, “...Hm. Well, what do _you_ think my name is?”

Lancer cocked his head at the question, “ _Wha?_ What do you mean? Is that seriously a secret, too? Or are you saying you actually _don’t_ have a name?”

“Let’s say… That I really _don’t_ have a name,” Ralsei continued, “What would you call me, Lancer? Er-- Other than _‘creepy hood person’_ of course.”

“Hmm… A _nickname_ for a new pal,” Lancer hummed, tapping a gloved finger to his chin as he began to think deeply on this, “Well, you’re a really sweet guy, so you gotta have a sweet name, right? Candy’s sweet! And cake! Oh, but so are apples! _Sometimes anyway._ ”

As the spade prince listed away endless possible names he could give, the sound of fast approaching footsteps echoing down the hall caught Ralsei’s ears. He glanced behind Lancer just as a tall figure had turned down the hall, seemingly in a frantic hurry. Long silvery locks trailed behind the man as he hurried along, glancing about and muttering to himself until his dark slit pupils met with Ralsei’s watching gaze.

The man froze in his steps and the goat could have sworn he saw the skin of his navy blue face pale upon noticing him, melting slightly in a sweat. Ralsei could tell from his polished uniform that he had to be someone very important. They stared at each other for a long moment before he seemed to regain himself, his expression growing serious and his brows furrowed. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair to straighten out its messiness and patted down his coat as he approached the two seated boys.

“Your highness, I hath been looking for thou _everywhere_ ,” the blue man sounded as exhausted as he looked. It was only then that Lancer noticed the man, halting in his ever growing listing of sweet things that would make good names.

“Huh?” The spade prince glanced over his shoulder at the approaching stranger, “Oh! Hey, _Lesser Dad!_ ”

“ _Please, I_ **_beg_ ** _thee to stop calling me that_ ,” the exasperated man sighed, stopping behind him in a dignified and respectful pose, “I hath come to tell thou that dinner has been ready for _minutes_ now.” His attention wearily shifted to Ralsei, his eyes concerned before he added, “Hast thou forgotten that thou shouldn’t bother the… _guests_.”

The way he had worded that sentence left Ralsei uneased. Wasn’t Ralsei the one not allowed to bother the residents? The thought that the _prince of the castle_ also wasn’t allowed to talk to _him_ made Ralsei feel odd and out of place.

Lancer pushed himself back to his feet, standing before the navy colored man as Ralsei also followed suit, “Nah. Dad said not to bother the _tall scary guy!_ This guy’s a _small creepy cloak guy!_ There’s a big difference, right?”

“Even so, thou should knoweth better than to casually converse with _strangers_ ,” the man hissed in a low tone to the blue prince before turning his attention to Ralsei more properly. The smile he quirked was a little lopsided, more so out of masked discomfort than the fact that his mouth appeared to be a bit melted, “I am very sorry, er, _sir._ His highness can be a tad _nosy_. I apologize greatly if he haseth been a nuisance.”

Ralsei fidgeted from where he stood behind Lancer. He had already grown comfortable conversing with Lancer and gaining confidence, but now that he was faced with a new stranger, he had quickly returned to his demure behavior,  “N-No, he-- He hasn’t been-- um--”

“Creepy hood’s my new friend, Rouxls!” Lancer chimed, answering for the struggling teen behind him, “We talked about all kinds of stuff! He’s super nice and cool, even though he’s kinda awkward!”

Ralsei could see something in the man’s face change for a second. Rouxls, as Lancer had called him, grew stiff at Lancer’s explanation, the strain of his smile only noticeable for a second before he relaxed, “That is… quite _nice_ , sire. However, I am afraideth that thou must come along now. Thoust dinner is certainly _cold_ by now.”

“Aww, okay,” the spade prince pouted, but his wide grin returned when he turned to face Ralsei one last time, “Guess I gotta go! And I didn’t even get to name ya… Next time we hangout, I’ll definitely have a name ready, alright?!”

The sight of his friend’s carefree smile put Ralsei’s heart at ease, the strong tension rising among them fading for only a moment as he returned a smile, albeit hidden in shadow, “R-Right. I look forward to seeing you again, Lancer…!”

And with that, the newly made friends parted ways. Rouxls ushered Prince Lancer on his way to wherever his dinner was waiting and Ralsei was once again alone in the hall leading to the throne. With the company and tension now gone, the goat prince found himself left to his thoughts.

What exactly were he and his Teacher to the people of the Kingdom of Cards? Everyone seemed so intimidated in their presence, showing immediate respect and even hurrying out of their way. Even Lancer wasn’t allowed to talk with him and he was the castle’s _prince_. His Teacher was certainly right about this kingdom being quite tense, but what in the world could be making them respond to them in such a way?

“ _Sorry to have kept you waiting._ ”

Once again, an unexpected voice caused the little prince to start. He turned to face the throne entrance and was met with the glowing crimson gaze of his Teacher, standing beside him at his usual towering height in the doorway. His demeanor was just as stoic as usual, but something about the atmosphere about him filled Ralsei with concern.

“Welcome back, Teacher,” he greeted politely, tilting his head slightly in question, “Is… something the matter?”

There was a pause in their conversation as the hooded magician stepped around his apprentice, the boy following in stride as the tall man headed down the hall. It seemed as though he were thinking, and usually when he was lost to his thoughts, he took his time in responding. Ralsei, familiar with this, waited patiently for a reply as he looked up to his Teacher and matched his steps at his side.

“Ralsei,” he finally began, his tone even, “do you remember when I told you that this world was going to change?”

“...Yes, Teacher?” Ralsei replied hesitantly, attempting to keep the worry that he was feeling out of his tone.

They had reached the end of the hall when his Teacher paused at the stairway. Ralsei stopped at his side, gazing up at him expectantly as his Teacher turned to face him. The red of his glowing eye was as hard to read as always, but something about the way it stared to him felt as though it held a new meaning; something serious in a way Ralsei wasn’t used to.

“The _day of change_ is upon us, my little friend. The world as we know it is going to shift and we must prepare. We are returning home now. I will explain everything there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LANCER IS TOO PURE FOR THIS WORLD AND WE DON'T DESERVE THAT LITTLE GARBAGE GREMLIN AAAAA--  
> Also I super apologize if Rouxls is written incorrectly-- I cannot Shakespear speech for the heckin life of me, but I needed the pretty man in this LOL
> 
> The plot is thickening again! The time of change is upon them? Whatever could that mean? What could be coming to change everything as we know it? The suspense is killing me!!
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading this chapter! As usual, comments aren't necessary, but appreciated! <3


	6. Their Last Shared Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today is their final day together in the Empty Kingdom, and it is time that Ralsei learns his purpose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAA it took a little while to get here, but this chapter marks the end of the beginning arc of this story! I hope you enjoy! This chapter is a little shorter than the ones before it.

_“Ralsei, I am afraid this is the last day we will be seeing each other for a long time.”_

The prince and his Teacher stood together at the top of the stone stairway leading down to the castle. It was an area they hadn’t visited together in quite some time, where they could see a beautiful view of the barren void and the Fountain of Darkness piercing endlessly into the sky from their palace’s center. With Ralsei’s studies keeping him busy and his Teacher’s duties drifting their time together apart, there became less and less time to spend with each other in their favorite spot.

Ralsei looked up to his Teacher with furrowed brows. He reached his hands up to tug back his cloak hood and remove his hat off his head, the magical shadows along his fur disappearing and his glowing white eyes returning to their rosy pink hue, “The last day? For a _long time?_ What do you mean, Teacher?”

The silence that rose between them left the goat uneasy as he watched his Teacher. He hadn’t met his eyes since they had arrived back in their empty home. His gaze stayed upon the view, the Fountain of Darkness flowing into the blackness of the sky. Ralsei wondered what was on his mind; his thoughts, his _worries_. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t figure out what his Teacher was thinking. His distant gazes always left him concerned.

Slowly, the man raised his hands to remove his own hood, the shadows dispersing from his features. His long dark hair flowed out with the breeze, free from its cloth confinement and now framing the icy blue of his face. Ralsei could see the man as he was once more; his long slender face, his striking crimson eye, the deep black scar that cracked into his skin.

The prince always looked to his Teacher for the wonder that he was, the _mysteries_ that he held, the beauty of his _strength_ and _wisdom_ . But even now, in all of these passed months of being together with him, Ralsei still couldn’t understand his distant red eyes and his aloof demeanor. The man was his world, and yet, he _barely_ **_knew_ ** _him_.

“The world is changing, Ralsei,” he continued, the calm of his voice unwavering, “and it is time that I told you what we have been preparing for all of this time.”

The man closed his eyes, as if thinking to himself-- _sorting his thoughts_. Ralsei watched patiently, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of dismay growing within him. As his Teacher turned to face him, Ralsei felt a shiver ripple through his fur as he locked gazes with the tall man.

Something in his eye seemed cold and empty, a blankness that Ralsei wasn’t used to seeing on his usual calm visage. He felt as though he were staring into a soulless hollow, and the emptiness was gazing back into him.

“Ralsei, my friend,” his Teacher began, turning to face his unnerved pupil, “Allow me to explain everything to you.”

Ralsei watched quietly as the magician raised a gloved hand before himself. Slowly, an ethereal red glow began to shine within his chest, gradually growing until it became a brilliant light. The prince gasped as the light suddenly burst from his Teacher’s chest, and resting hovered in his palm was a glowing red _heart_.

He presented it to his pupil, who gazed upon it with wide eyes. Confusion took Ralsei’s expression as his Teacher began to explain.

__________

 _“What I hold before me is my_ **_SOUL_ ** _; the very culmination of my being, my essence of_ **_existence_ ** _. Within it, I hold a power far stronger than any living mortal should contain, and with such power comes serious consequence._

 _For years, I have had visions. Memories of lives I’ve lived, of lives yet to come, and lives of those far away in a world different from our own. It is a strange power of foresight that I had been gifted with: the ability to predict the_ **_future_ ** _from the knowledge of another life._

 _These visions have been warning me of an end to come. A person, much like myself, was born with incredible power; the power to_ **_alter fate_ ** _as he chooses. It is the power of the_ **_Red SOUL_ ** _, the determination to persist after death and reset time. This power currently rests within him, not yet awakened, but brimming with strength beyond his understanding. He does not realize just how dangerous this ability is and what hell it can bring to the world as we know it._

 _This boy… this_ **_human_ ** _will come to our Dark World from the world of Light, and he will endanger both of our realms with his otherworldly power. He will pose as a_ **_Hero_ ** _, unaware that he will surely become an enemy of the world’s future and bring the world to its inevitable end._

 _But there is still hope, my prince, for we still have the chance to change things for the better, and you will play an important role in protecting the worlds and our_ **_timeline_ ** _from destruction.”_

__________

Ralsei listened carefully to the words his Teacher spoke--his tale and his warnings. It was odd and he wasn’t quite sure he understood, but he couldn’t deny the unsettling feeling his Teacher’s words impressed upon him. _The power to alter fate? Resetting time?_ These were all things he had read in the library, but never quite imagined to be real.

“...How… How in the world could I prevent such a thing?” His breath was shaky as he tore his eyes from the Red SOUL to meet his Teacher’s stony gaze.

The magician flexed his fingers and the SOUL dispersed in a burst of red light, his chest glowing once more before slowly fading out, “Do you remember that book I left in your room all that time ago? _That book of legends?_ ”

Ralsei nodded slowly. Of course he remembered that book. It was his absolute favorite gift he had been given by his Teacher. An anthology of mythos and old tales collected over millennia from across the Dark World, stories so old that their origins are lost to time. He had read them all from cover to cover, rereading them just to experience the tales once more. But he had believed them to be nothing more than that; _stories_. Surely his Teacher wasn’t implying…

“That story… The tale of Two Heroes of the Light World coming to banish the **_Angel’s Heaven_ **,” his Teacher stepped forward until he loomed over him, and Ralsei found himself shying back, “I’m afraid that it is going to come true.”

The magician kneeled before his apprentice, his hands reaching forward to clasp one of his little paws gently between them as he gazed up into his eyes. Ralsei felt his heart skip a beat when he met that crimson eye beneath the shadows of his dark mane. It was once cold and emotionless, but right at this moment, it held a strong look of sincerity. The prince’s cheeks grew hot and he found himself unable to look away.

“Ralsei, my dearest friend… my **_prince_ ** ,” his Teacher’s voice held a warmth Ralsei hadn’t heard in a long time and his words felt genuine and true, “I did not simply create you without a purpose. You were planned with a task in mind; a task only someone as _gentle_ and _kind_ as you could fulfill. When the heroes arrive to this empty void, your job is to follow them. Watch over them and lead them down the path of **_peace_ **.”

He smoothed a thumb over the fur of the hand he tenderly held, his attention shifting to it as he paused thoughtfully, “They need a healing soul like yours. One clean of malice and hatred. If anyone can guide them done a righteous path, it would be you.”

Ralsei was at a loss for words. He wasn’t sure of what to say—wasn’t sure of what to _do_ now. His Teacher trusted him with a task this important; a task he was _born to fulfill_. He always knew that he must have been brought into this world for a reason; that he existed for an important cause. But this was beyond anything he imagined. If it weren’t for his Teacher’s integrous personality, Ralsei doubted he would ever believe this to be true.

The prince bit his lip, fidgeting where he stood as he stared down at his hand in the magician’s hold. His gentle grasp and long fingers, his palms much larger than his small paw… it reminded him of the day they had first met. The day he was **_born_ **.

“...I… don’t know what to say,” Ralsei whispered, lowering his head to hide his reddened face, “A-Am I… really capable of such things…?”

Delicate fingers cupped under his chin, tilting his head upward once more to meet his Teacher’s red eye. Ralsei’s face grew warmer as the man looked to him with a warm smile, “You mustn’t doubt yourself, little prince. You are much smarter and more clever than you may think. I have faith that you will do well and make the right decisions.”

The magician released the goat’s hand as he stood back to his full height. Turning away from the stairway, he walked his way to the barren clearing beside them. Ralsei watched as his cloak billowed on the breeze, the wind tugging at his dark locks of hair as they trailed behind him with every purposeful step.

“Now then. Those Lightners will be needing a proper welcome,” he hummed thoughtfully, “Stand back. I am going to make this space a little more _lively_.”

__________

What once was an empty space was now an entire town. The clearing of nothingness was now occupied, filled with blue buildings tilted in eccentric curves. Houses, shops, and inns all circled around them, forming a town center just before the castle stairway, then continued beyond to surround the entire crater’s edge high above. It was as if the buildings themselves were further protecting the castle below and the Dark Fountain shelled within it.

An entire Castle Town was built from seemingly nothing, spreading vastly along the land to form an entire kingdom, just as the palace had been all those months ago. It never ceased to amaze Ralsei just how incredible and powerful his creator was.

“This will do,” his Teacher sighed as he stood up from his crouch on the ground and patted down his gloves.

“Incredible as always,” the prince praised, breath-taken as he joined the magician in the center of the town, gazing about at the new land he had just created as he clutched his hat to his chest, “And more than one building no less! I still don’t understand how you do it, Teacher!”

“They are not so impressive. They are hardly as intricate as our castle home,” the magician confessed, “Every one of these buildings are empty. Simple props to create the illusion of a kingdom to our castle.”

The magician watched as the prince wandered around him in a circle. The wonder in his eyes was just as pure and excited as usual, but his joy dimmed as he stopped at the man’s side once more. His head was lowered, his paws clutching at the hat in his hands tightly as he hid his face behind the shielding length  of his fluffy white ears. This was all so incredible, but there was still so much to be concerned about.

“...So, this is it, Teacher?” Ralsei murmured as he smoothed his thumb pads over the green cloth in his hands, “You’re going away now… with a _final request?_ ”

He lowered his head more timidly as he felt his Teacher’s hand upon his head, patting him gently and ruffling his hair. The familiar gesture made him feel more at ease despite his worries, “I am afraid so. There is much to be done far away from here, and I am needed elsewhere. While it is your job to guide our heroes down a righteous path, it is my job to prepare for the future to come. We may not see each other for months, maybe even _years_ . But I promise that one day, we **_will_ ** meet again.”

 _Prepare for the future…_ Ralsei bit his lip at the thought. He didn’t have power like his Teacher did; the _power of foresight_ as he had put it. Ralsei never really knew what to expect for tomorrow, let alone the distance to come. But no matter what, he trusted in his Teacher. He believed in the man who had created him and sought to see his plans to fruition.

It was the least he could do for his teacher; his _guardian_ , his **_creator_ **.

“...I will do my best for you,” Ralsei replied, replacing his hat upon his head as the magician removed his hand, the shadows returning to his fur, “I believe in you… In everything you have taught me and everything I have learned. I understand and I will work hard to help the Lightners when they arrive.”

“Excellent,” his Teacher replied and he turned back to face the castle stairway, to gaze upon the Fountain of Darkness once more, “I knew I could count on you, little prince. Now then, let us head back to the palace. I need to inform you more on our plans.”

Ralsei gave a nod as the two of them made their way for the stone stairs, but upon reaching them, the man hesitated. Ralsei stared up from where he stood behind him, waiting for him to continue or offer instruction. The magician turned to glance over his shoulder, his crimson eye glowing in the perpetual darkness of night as he stared eerily to his little creation. Ralsei willed back a shiver as he met his cold gaze.

“I nearly forgot to mention. From this day forth, if we are to ever meet again somewhere beyond the Great Wall, you will no longer speak to me as your _Teacher_ . You will instead refer to me as your **_Knight_ **.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND SO OUR STORY BEGINS!
> 
> This chapter was a little tough to write and I cannot for the life of me figure out why. The format was also a little different than usual, so it was an interesting ride to make. Anyway!! This is the end of Ralsei's origins! In the next chapter, our story will REALLY begin! >)
> 
> Thank you for reading this chapter and all of the chapters leading up to this point!! I hope it was enjoyable and the Knight's explanation of the situation was comprehensible! As usual, comments aren't mandatory, but absolutely appreciated! <3


	7. A New Journey Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter the human, a boy with a lonely and troubled soul. It is time we meet the hero, Kris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M REALLY EXCITED TO FINALLY HAVE THIS CHAPTER POSTED!!
> 
> Believe it or not, this was actually one of the first chapters I ever wrote for this fanfic. It's gone through a lot of revision and editing and it's finally become a chapter I'm happy to have completed!
> 
> Warning: This chapter starts really dark and there are many detailed descriptions of panic attacks. Please be safe!
> 
> I hope you enjoy the first chapter of Kris Dreemurr!

_ “Y... you... really hate me  _ **_that_ ** _ much?” _

_ His hand quivered and his grip on the blade’s hilt grew slack, the sight before him causing his entire body to stiffen. Dust filled the air as the large goat woman dropped to her knees. She clutched her chest where a fresh wound lie slashed through her robes--the wound  _ **_he_ ** _ had caused with his own horrible hands. _

_ The sound of her hoarse, rasping breaths surged like static in his ears, an ever increasing white noise that made his ears numb and his skin crawl. Her eyes, once soft and gentle, were now wide with shock and fear, incredulous and disturbed with his actions so sudden and cruel. _

_ The knife slipped from his fingers, clattering to the stone floor with a deafening clack. His head was throbbing, his heart was pounding; it felt as though his very soul was tearing him apart from the inside out. It was  _ **_unbearable_ ** _ and the world was so  _ **_loud_ ** _ and he felt sick to his stomach, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the sight of the collapsed woman--his dying  _ **_mother_ ** _. _

_ She looked to him, eyes still wide with shock, and a hysterical grin pulled at her lips. It was an expression he had never seen on her before, one of deep sickening disgust; practically maddened from the horror of what he had just done to her. The longer he stared, the more her face distorted in his vision, glitched and breaking like a corrupted file in a video game. He wanted to tear his gaze away, to  _ **_vomit_ ** _ , to  _ **_scream_ ** _ , but he just couldn’t look away. _

_ “Now I see who I was protecting by keeping you here... Not you... But  _ **_them_ ** _!” _

_ The words stung him--they  _ **_burned_ ** _ him. His soul pulsed violently,  _ **_painfully_ ** _ , and he couldn’t breathe. With every gasp, he swallowed dust. Throat tightening, he shakily raised his hands to clutch at the cloth of his sweater over his chest, clawing and tugging as his body felt hot. His brain kept swimming with screaming thoughts. He was awful. He was a  _ **_murderer_ ** _ , and for what cause? _

_ He was sick, disgusting, horrible; an absolute  _ **_d e m o n_ ** _ \-- _

__________

_ “ _ **_Kris_ ** _!” _

He gasped as his eyes snapped open. His body was curled in on itself where he lay, tangled under his sheets and blankets as he realized he was no longer in that creepy, dark basement hallway. There was no knife, no dust covered floors, no disturbing grins or murderous actions. He was in his bed, his brain groggy and dazed from his horrid nightmare and struggling back to reality.

Above him stood his beloved mother, alive and well. No slashed and dusty robes, no wide eyes of fleeting life. No, just his regular mother, her white fur neatly brushed and her usual purple framed glasses in place. Her expression wasn’t crazed, but stern as her claws sat balled at her hips in a disapproving stance.

This was a face he was familiar with; the  _ “we’re nearly late for school and you’re still loafing in bed” _ face.

“Kris, if you do not wake up, we will be late for school!” His mother, Toriel, chastised as she turned and made her way for the bedroom window. She flung open the curtains, letting in the morning sunlight that immediately burned into his exhausted retinas. He groaned, tugging his comforter tightly over his head to shield himself from the scorching light. Mornings were absolutely  _ terrible _ .

Sighing at his reaction, Toriel decided to turn and make her way for the bedroom door, “I will wait outside for you, alright? Please hurry up, honey! I have a class to teach, you know!”

And with that, the goat woman had left the room. Silence returned to Kris’ now well lit bedroom as he lied curled up in bed, alone with his thoughts and weighing his options. Though he was very tired, he could hardly entertain the thought of dozing off again. Not when it was possible he would end up back in that nightmare once more. However, the more obvious reason for not going back to sleep was the fact that it was a school day and he, as a teenager in high school, had classes to attend.

With a resigned grumble, Kris tugged his blankets off of his head as he sat up, leaving a messy brown mop of bedhead in its wake. In a drowsy daze, he took a deep breath before climbing out of bed to prepare for the long day ahead.

__________

“Kris, it’s a beautiful day today, is it not?” Toriel grinned pleasantly on their ride to school. Kris sat at her side in the passenger seat, his head leaning against the van window as he watched the town scenery roll by. He was only half listening to her, his mind busy elsewhere, yet nowhere as he found himself daydreaming and lost to his thoughts. He let out a soft, half-hearted hum in response, not even entirely sure he had heard what his mother said in the first place.

It seemed to have been a good enough answer, as she continued on with her small talk, “Fall is such a wonderful time of year. The trees are changing such lovely shades!”

As they drove by, various neighbors and familiar faces occasionally turned their way, some even waving them hello as they passed. Kris particularly acknowledged Officer Undyne, who waved to him with her usual sharp toothy grin, and he returned it lazily, raising a hand in response. If there was anything to be known about Hometown, it was definitely that the residents were quite friendly people. Well,  _ most _ of them, anyway.

“I hope it stays this way when Asriel visits next week,” Toriel sighed as they turned down the road leading to the front of the school, “But I wonder… After the excitement of university, will he still enjoy coming home to this little town…?”

Asriel. It sure had been a while, hadn’t it? Nearly three months actually.  _ 87 _ days, to be exact, but it wasn’t like Kris was counting or anything. Absentmindedly, Kris tugged his phone out of his pants pocket, deftly thumbing in the pass-code and checking his texts. As expected, he hadn’t received any new ones from his brother, their last conversation being a couple days ago. It was fine though. He was obviously busy, pursuing a higher education and being an overall likable and popular guy after all.

Still, even the realization didn’t make it  _ sting _ any less. Kris would never admit it, but he was quite lonely now that his brother wasn’t around to keep him company.

“...Probably not,” Kris mumbled and shoved his phone back in his pocket, “He’s gotten even  _ more  _ of a life out there, I bet.”

They turned into the school parking lot, Toriel parking in her designated spot nearest the entrance. As the two of them exited the vehicle, Kris was overcome by the usual sense of gloom that came with coming to school. He could already feel the exhaustion of the day coming and he hadn’t even entered the building. School was always such a draining chore, especially now in his final years.

He hadn’t realized he was standing idle until Toriel was standing before him, her usual motherly smile in place as she reached out a hand for him to take. Kris internally grimaced. Ah, yes. It was time for their embarrassing parent-child ritual in which they held hands as they entered the school building. You know, the thing that mothers do for their  _ toddlers _ . It was just one of the many perks of having an elementary teacher for a parent. He wanted so badly to tell her that it was dumb and that he was way too old for this now, but he didn’t have the heart to tell her otherwise. 

Begrudgingly, Kris placed a hand in his mother’s, head down to hide behind his messy hair and staring down at his shoes as she guided him into the building to begin their school day. He silently begged that no one was looking as he tried to will away the heat rising in his cheeks. 

__________

An awkward walk into the school building and a suffocating “have a good day” hug later, Kris made his way to class. He wasn’t excited to attract attention to himself upon entering the classroom, but such was the consequence of a student late to class. As he reached the door, he paused a moment to take a deep breath before twisting the door knob and making his way inside. 

“So, does everyone have a—“ he had entered just as his teacher, Miss Alphys, was in the middle of addressing the class. As expected, she and the entire class had immediately acknowledged his presence, turning to look as he closed the door behind him with a click. Miss Alphys perked up at the sight of him, her expression one of surprise.

“Oh… K-Kris…! We thought you weren’t coming today!” The yellow lizard woman greeted before gesturing to the class, “We’re doing group projects this month, uhhh, so walk around and find a partner, okay?”

Group projects.  _ Great _ . Expression as neutral as usual despite the ever growing feeling of dread, Kris gave a small nod before glancing around the room. So many familiar faces, all of which didn’t seem particularly willing or available to be his partner. As he stepped forward toward the desks to begin his quest to find someone to pair with, he noticed some immediate signs of rejection.

Some classmates pull out their phones while others simply turn away, pretending Kris wasn’t there to avoid being asked. The Temmie sitting in the front row placed a hard-boiled egg on her desk, as if it were a suitable partner for a school assignment. Kris frowned as he started walking toward his desk instead. It wasn’t like he really cared. He didn’t particularly want to partner with anyone to begin with, so their harsh rejections meant very little to him. However, the blatant lack of acknowledgement didn’t stop him from feeling  _ frustrated _ . He hated being the class  _ “freak” _ .

As he passed by the smug bird that sat in the desk before him, he could practically hear the arrogant grin on his face as he murmured a condescending, “ _ Late again, I see? _ ” Without breaking stride or even so much as giving him a sideway glance, Kris discreetly flipped his middle finger at him.

He reached his desk and gave the room another glance over, searching for any sign of anyone interested in working with him for the month. Among his chattering classmates, his eyes landed on the blonde reindeer girl in the front row across from him, distracted by the notebook before her as she doodled absentmindedly.

His next-door neighbor and family acquaintance, Noelle Holiday. They didn’t talk much these days—not much at  _ all _ in fact—but Kris knew she was generous and kind from their time of growing up together. Surely she wouldn’t mind being his partner, would she?

He approached her and reached out to tap her sweater sleeved arm. Noelle was snapped out of her focus on her notebook, quickly placing an arm over the page to hide it and turning to look at him with her wide green eyes. Her surprise subsided when she realized that it was just Kris standing beside her, but her confusion hadn’t left her expression as she smiled at him politely.

“Oh! Hey, Kris! What’s up?” Noelle chimed, her voice soft and friendly as usual, “Didja lose your pencil again?” She was already turning to her red and green pencil case at her side when he grabbed for her attention again.

“N-No, uh—“ Kris stammered and Noelle glanced up from her bag once more, “I, um… I was wondering if you’d… be my partner?”

Something in her eyes seemed to shine at his request, as if she had never expected him to ask and was impressed that he did. It wasn’t often that he spoke to her willingly, let alone asked to be  _ partners _ . A shame, really, considering she was the sweetest girl in class.

“Oh—  _ Really? _ ” Noelle’s brow furrowed guiltily as she fidgeted with her hair between her fingers, “Umm… I’m sorry, Kris. Berdly already asked me…”

Ah, figures. He began to turn away and head to his desk when she hurriedly continued, “But I can ask Miss Alphys if we could make a group of three! I can ask if you’re sure…?”

Kris paused to considered the option. Noelle’s offer was very sweet, but he didn’t like the idea of having to work with  _ Berdly _ of all people. But really, how many options did he have here? It’s not like anyone else was available and  _ willing _ . When he gave a small nod of affirmation, Noelle turned to face the front of the class where Miss Alphys stood watching a video on her phone.

“Miss Alphys! Umm, is it okay if we have a group of three?”

“Hey— What—?” Berdly practically squawked from where he was sitting next to her, scandalized, “No! I do  **_not_ ** approve of this!  _ Abort!! _ ” Kris couldn’t stop the scowl that tugged at his lips as he glared at the bespectacled bird. He knew better than to expect any reaction other than this. Hell, he didn’t want to work with  _ Berdly _ either.

Shocked at his harsh response, Noelle flushed with surprise, “What? B-But Kris doesn’t have a—“

“Noelle? What were you saying?” Miss Alphys looked up from her phone, clearly having been distracted this whole time by her weird cartoons. Her gaze shifted between Noelle and Berdly and as Noelle began to ask again, Berdly rudely interrupted her with his usual smug grin.

“She was just saying we’re  _ fine _ working  _ alone. _ ”

Face growing ever redder, Noelle lowered her head, shyly hiding behind her blonde bangs as she tangled her fingers in her locks some more. Kris recognized this habit well. She did this whenever she was afraid of upsetting someone, “ _ A-Actually, I just wanted to know… i-if… _ ” Noelle’s voice was barely audible now as she started to mumble. 

“Noelle, can you  _ please speak up? _ ” Miss Alphys chastised, and Noelle only seemed to get more flushed and embarrassed at the confrontation. This was clearly going nowhere. With a soft sigh, Kris contemplated just taking a seat at his desk, giving up on this search to find a partner and just accepting working alone or even taking the fail. But just as he had turned to his seat—

**_SLAM._ **

The door was swung open and everyone in the room turned to face the classroom entrance. Oh. How could anyone forget? Kris wasn’t the only student late to class and quite frankly, he really wished that he was.

Towering in the doorway stood a tall, violet reptilian teen. Her dark hair shielded her eyes messily as she glared at the class, everyone going silent under her attention. She clearly didn’t care that she was late and certainly didn’t care that she had entirely interrupted the class. Why would she? This was practically what she did  **every day** .

“ _...O-Oh… H… Hi, Susie, _ ” Miss Alphys greeted shrinkingly, just as intimidated as the rest of the class. As wonderful of a teacher as she was, she was awfully  _ spineless _ . But then again, not many people knew how to deal with Susie, student and teacher alike.

Stepping into the classroom, Susie scanned her peers, every single one turning away from her to avoid her sharp eyes beneath her dark mane. Kris as well lowered his head to keep from locking gazes. He was beginning to wish he was sitting at his desk just so that he wouldn’t stick out so obviously.

“ _...Am I late? _ ” Her low, gritting tone always seemed to send a chill down Kris’ spine and he wondered if she used that growling voice on purpose to keep people nervous of her.

“Ohh, n-no! You’re fine!” Miss Alphys stammered as she waved her hands dismissively, “W-We were just, uh… ch-choosing partners for the next group project, and…”

As her voice trailed off, her gaze drifted over to Kris, who stiffened as they met eyes. No. No, this was  _ exactly _ what he was worried about. Surely there was a way out of this. He wouldn’t mind being a trio with Noelle. He would tolerate Berdly’s asshole remarks and even put forth a lot of effort for the group if it meant he could avoid the one thing he was hoping  **_not_ ** to have.

Not even the glimmer of pleading in his eyes could stop her decision as his teacher cracked a wide and nervous smile Susie’s way, “Ummm, Susie, you’re with Kris!”

God. Damn. It.

Her sharp gaze was on him now. He could feel it boring into him and he tilted his head up to meet Susie’s glare, only to immediately regret it. Her expression was just as he expected; one full of disappointment and disgust. Her grimace was horribly masked as she rolled her eyes, “ _...Great. _ ”

This was something Kris hated most about school. It wasn’t the schoolwork, the early mornings, or the classes he had to take. It was the  _ people  _ he had to meet there. People who found him odd, people who didn’t care to know him, people who didn’t understand him and didn’t really want to either. Being in class made him feel lonely and outcasted, and at this very moment, he was strongly regretting getting out of bed that morning.

He often wondered if things would be different if he wasn’t the  **_weird human in the room_ ** .

Kris could feel everyone’s eyes on him now, some staring with pity while others watched with indifference. He seriously should have just gotten to school early. He tore his gaze away from Susie’s to stare down at his shoes, wanting badly to disappear. Miss Alphys must have noticed the tension in the room as she quickly started making her way for her desk, “N-Now that everyone is here, I’ll write the assignment!”

She made her way for the blackboard and reached out for the chalk, only to have her hand hover over the empty space where the chalk usually sat. Blinking, the lizard woman searched about the area, checking the floor before looking over her desk. Finding nothing still, she turned to the class, sweat on her brow, “...Uh… Has anyone seen the chalk? This is the third time it’s gone missing, and… y-you all know I can’t start class without some!”

Silence hung in the air thick enough to cut with a knife. No one moved from their seats as they all glanced around at each other with questioning eyes. Kris and Susie remained unmoving from where they stood awkwardly in the room, Kris unsure if he was allowed to take his seat yet and Susie remaining as aloof as ever. Miss Alphys began to nervously sweat even more, “A… Anyone? P…  _ Please? _ ”

“Hey, there might be a box in the supply closet,” Noelle spoke out, attempting to break the tense atmosphere as she looked over to Susie with a shy smile, “Miss Alphys, why don’t Susie and I--”

“G-Good idea, Noelle!” Their teacher perked up, hardly hesitating to take an offer for a solution, “Susie, s-since you came in last, why don’t you go and get it for me?”

Susie shot a glare Miss Alphys’ way, the silence stretching on once again and Kris waited for something-- _ anything _ to end this incredibly uncomfortable scene playing out before him. After a few torturous seconds, Susie huffed out a muttered “ _ Whatever _ ” before turning and leaving the room, door slammed harshly behind her and causing the entire class to cringe at the noise and quake it left.

All of the horrible, frightening atmosphere had left with Susie, quickly replaced with the calm of relief. In unison, the whole class released the breaths they had been holding. Incredibly unhappy with the results of this situation, Kris had moved to finally take a seat, only to be called out to by Miss Alphys once more.

“Oh, and K… Kris… Can you go with her to make sure she… Um, actually gets it? And  _ stays out of trouble _ ...?”

_ Cool. Yup. Totally not catching a break today. _

Kris’ hands clenched at his sides, his lips tightened in a frown as he took a deep breath through his nose. Choosing not to defy her request--and quite frankly not having the  _ courage _ to try--Kris turned back to the front of the room, reluctantly making strides toward the classroom exit after Susie. He decided it was better to accept his cruel fate. This was just another one of those days. There was no point in fighting and he knew it.

“Thanks, Kris!” He heard Miss Alphys nervously chime as he headed out of the door, “See you later!”

__________

There were many possible outcomes to being unfortunate enough to be alone with Susie. Saying she wasn’t the  _ kindest person _ was an understatement and everyone steered clear of her for a reason. Not only was she rude and crude, but she was very unpredictable. Her level of irritation varied in ways that no one could keep up with, and one could never be sure if she would simply sneer and say mean things or get physical and rough with others.

Unfortunately for Kris, she seemed to be in a physical and rough kind of mood.

Susie currently had him pinned to a locker, shoved harshly to the point where he was sure his back had left a dent in the metal. She held him at eye level, her glowing yellow eyes glaring fiercely upon him as she smirked toothily at him, showing off her rows of razor sharp teeth. He wouldn’t dare to meet her eyes. He knew better than to fight her and could tell from his current position that any attempt to defend himself would be a losing battle.

“ **_Quiet people piss me off_ ** ,” Susie growled, and Kris regretted not saying anything when she had caught him watching her, regretted seeing her eat the very chalk that got him in this mess, regretted being stuck alone in this hallway with her where no one would see any of this or be there to help him. Why was he so damn  _ unlucky? _

She gripped his collar tight enough to choke him, leaving only just enough room to breathe and offer his full attention, “You think just ‘cuz you don’t  _ say _ anything, I can’t tell exactly what you’re thinking?  _ ‘It’s over! I caught Susie eating all the chalk! This was her last chance! Now she’ll finally be expelled!’ _ Right?”

Kris could feel his skin crawling.  _ As if _ he would ever do such a thing as rat her out. He didn’t even like to  _ think _ about Susie, let alone go out of his way to cause more trouble with her. He couldn’t care less what she was eating, school supplies or not. He just wanted to get back to class and forget any of this ever happened.

Susie snickered darkly at his anxious expression, a low hoarse noise that bubbled up from her throat vilely, “C’mon, Kris, don’t act shocked. You know it’s true. Everyone’s waiting for it.  _ Everyone wants it. _ ”

Kris’ hands clenched into fists. Yes, Susie was a pain in the ass and an overall menace, but he didn’t  _ care _ . He didn’t care where she went, whether she stayed at school or disappeared one day. She could do whatever she wanted; he just  _ wanted to be left alone-- _

“So, congrats, Kris! You caught me. I’m  _ done _ for,” she continued to monologue, her eyes growing grim as her grip tightened a little more on his collar. It took every ounce of Kris’ power not to gag at the clenching; not to give her the  _ satisfaction _ of hearing him suffer under her hold, “Just… let me say  _ one little thing _ . Seems like a waste to get expelled just for having a  **_snack_ ** .”

A chill ran down Kris’ spine. What was she implying? He didn’t like where this was going in the slightest. Hesitantly, he glanced up to meet her expression through his bangs, and was met with a sadistic, toothy sneer. 

“So, Kris, if I  _ know _ you’re going to pull the trigger… Why don’t I just get expelled for some  **_real_ ** carnage?”

His body was tense now. This had to be some sick joke, right? Susie was a  _ bully _ , but not  **_feral_ ** . She surely wasn’t crazy enough to try something so  _ stupid _ , was she? But then again, did he really care what she did? Did he truly mind whatever was going to happen to him in this hallway?  _ It was only a matter of time, wasn’t it? _

His body went slack as she rose him higher, leaning in threateningly and they were now uncomfortably close. Kris wasn’t sure of where to look; her glowing eyes? Her horrific teeth? He settled on his shoes dangling a foot off the ground as she continued, her voice distorted with her ferocious growls.

“Kris… How do you feel…  **_about losing your face?_ ** ”

He could feel her breath on his cheeks, hot and foul as she hovered him closer. The wet sound of her tongue and the saliva slathering in her mouth made his stomach churn, but he dared not to look. He refused to watch, just remained still. Silent.  _ Accepting. _ He couldn’t stop her, so why should he try? Submitting to fate, he closed his eyes and waited for her to destroy him however she decided.

...and it was then that he was dropped to the floor.

Slumped against the lockers, Kris kept his head low, remaining unmoving as he listened to Susie nonchalantly continue, “... _ Nah _ . Kris. You’ve got a good mother. It’d be a shame to make her  _ bury her child _ .

Just like that, she had decided to spare him and acted as though it was an act of kindness that changed her mind. She was already walking away from him and changing the topic. It was as if she hadn’t just  _ threatened _ his life; hadn’t slammed him against that locker and  _ choked _ him. She was already headed down the hallway, mocking that she would force him to do all the work on their project and that his “choices don’t matter”.

_ Not only was Susie rude and crude, but she was very  _ **_unpredictable_ ** _. _ And Kris was still learning not to expect  _ anything _ of her.

“What’re you still sitting around for?” Susie huffed from down the hall, glaring upon the human’s pathetic slumped form, “We’ve got shit to find. Let’s go,  **_freak_ ** .”

__________

The trip to the supply closet was short, but  _ agonizing _ . Susie was annoyingly talkative when she wasn’t being edgy and quiet in her seat at the back of the class, constantly condescending and judging Kris for practically anything he did. Walking too slow, keeping his distance from her, avoiding her eyes; it was all so mockable for her and he was quickly growing tired of it. He was relieved to finally be at the supply closet doors, eager to have this journey be over with so that they could go back to class.

...But it seemed things weren’t going to be that easy.

Susie had just been snarking about how short their trip was when the doors suddenly slammed open. The two of them jumped at the deafening sound, looking to the darkness within with wide eyes as they stood, frozen with shock. There was nothing beyond the doors, just blackness far too deep to see within. It felt as though the world around them grew darker the longer they stared, and the two of them took a step back and exchanged an uncomfortable glance to each other.

There was nothing inside; no one existing beyond the doors. They seemed to have flung open on their own the moment they got there. And doors opening on their own wasn’t exactly  _ natural _ , was it?

“...Uh… Hey... “ Susie was the first to speak, her startled expression new to Kris, “Is it just me… or is it  _ really dark in there? _ ”

Kris didn’t respond. He couldn’t find his voice as he stared back into the darkness. Something felt…  _ wrong _ . He couldn’t describe the feeling, but his chest tightened with a heavy pressure. His mind was suddenly racing and he couldn’t tear his eyes away. Why  _ was _ it so dark in there? Was it always this dark in the supply closet?

_ And why did it feel like the darkness was looking back at him? _

“So, what’s the hold up, Kris?” Susie spoke again, her voice wavering with unease despite how hard she tried to keep its steady and calm, “Are you gonna go in or what?”

_ Go in? _ Why would he  _ ever  _ go in? This closet wasn’t normal--it  _ couldn’t _ be normal. He had gone to this school since he was old enough to even  _ go _ to school and knew this place like the back of his hand, and yet a room that should be familiar to him after all these years felt  **_new_ ** and  **_frightening_ ** . And it unnerved him more that he didn’t know  _ why _ .

A chill ran up his spine as he took a few steps back, his eyes still unable to pull away from the void before him. This feeling… this  _ eerie  _ feeling. It was familiar in ways he didn’t like to think about. It reminded him of dark empty basement hallways, of dusty knives, of static noise and distorted voices. His heart pounded in his ears.

“F-Fine!” Susie scoffed, too prideful to show her fear, but Kris was hardly listening, “If you’re gonna be a  _ wimp _ then I’ll--”

She fell silent as she cautiously glared at the doorway to emptiness. So empty, deep and dark; an endless abyss and  _ Kris felt sick and lightheaded and-- _

Kris jumped as Susie’s large clawed hand gripped his shoulder, his body going tense and he finally pulled his eyes away to glance at her hand on him. Though it grounded him to reality, it did little to ease his nerves. His eyes flicked up to her face, and in her stiff smirk, he could see behind the mask. She was just as anxious as he was--well, maybe not  _ nearly _ as much--but she was doing her best to keep her cool. It wasn’t entirely convincing, but she held herself together better than he could at the moment.

“ _ We’ll both go in at the same time! _ C’mon…!”

Kris was regretting waking up that morning even more than he already had been.

Together, they crept into the darkness of the closet, Susie guiding as Kris dreaded every step. Below their feet were old sheets of paper, scattered about the ground messily and crinkling under his shoes.  _ Old and dusty. _ Kris swallowed as Susie dragged him further inside.

She only let go when they had crossed the threshold, squinting her glowing yellow eyes as she tried to make out  _ anything _ in the dark. The lizard huffed to herself, regaining her confidence as she wandered further inside the closet, “See? Why are you so scared? There’s nothing in here but old papers!”

Susie reached out her hands as she wandered further into the supply closet, reaching for walls and searching for a switch. Kris remained at the entrance, heavily contemplating his options. He hated this room; hated  _ being _ in this room, and he wanted to leave it as soon as possible. He glanced over his shoulder to the open door way. The exit was  _ right there _ . He could easily turn and escape the room. Back into the light of the school hallway where it felt  _ safe _ and  _ familiar _ \--

“ _ Kris, the hell are you standing around for? _ ” Susie hissed, her sharp eyes accusing as she glared at the human boy near the door, “You better not be thinking of leaving me in here…! Get over here and  _ help me look for a light switch! _ ”

_ How did he always end up in these kinds of situations? _

Hesitantly, Kris followed after Susie as she reached her hands about blindly, looking for the closet walls but only ending up grasping at air. She began to grow very frustrated and it didn’t help her nerves one bit.

“Why’s this closet so deep…? You’d think we’d reach the end by now,” Susie murmured under her breath, “ And… there’s no walls? How big  _ is  _ this thing?”

Kris’ chest felt suffocatingly tight as he stuck close to Susie’s back. He couldn’t shake the fear within him; the feeling that something horrible was happening, the fear that he was entering dangerous territory and that they  _ weren’t alone in this closet _ . Why did a dark supply closet make him feel this way in the first place? He couldn’t figure out why he was suddenly so afraid but  _ he wanted to leave, he wanted to run, he wanted to  _ **_get out_ ** _ \-- _

“...Uhh, Kris? I think this closet’s, uh… broken,” Susie snorted as she looked back over her shoulder at the panicking boy behind her, “I think we’ve worked hard enough. If Alphys wants chalk so bad, she can get it herself.”

_ Yes, _ Kris thought through the noise in his head,  _ Yes she could. _

The two of them quickly turned on heel and started heading back to the closet exit. Thank god. It was over. They were leaving. Kris could see the hallway, the light of the outside, the familiar place he needed to be in. It wasn’t so far now. When they crossed the threshold, they could go back to class and pretend this never even happened. Everything would be fine.

Then suddenly, the doors slammed shut.

The room was dark now. They couldn’t see anything and the two of them were fully surrounded in darkness. Kris stood frozen as Susie finally fell into a full panic, pushing past him to get to the door and tugging on the knob. The sound of her fists pounding on the doors as she called out to whoever locked them in was muffled on Kris’ ears.

The static was back, loud and harsh and deafening the world around him. His vision swam and distorted at the edges and he found himself unable to move or breathe. Somewhere among the static, he could hear voices, echoing and swirling in his mind with words too quiet to understand, but sound too loud to ignore.

Whatever was hiding in here wanted them to be here, and just as he should have guessed,  _ it had trapped them in with it. _

The ground was quaking now, the papers on the floor quivered and rattled across the floor and Susie was backing away from the door now. Her luminous eyes shone bright in the darkness through her curtain of hair and her expression was just as terrified as he felt now. It was as if the realization of how bad of a situation this was had finally caught up to her. Honestly, it took her long enough.

The papers began to fall into the dark abyss, as if the floor beneath them was disappearing. Kris was finally moving again as he and Susie backed away to escape the collapsing floor, stunned silent at the bizarre magic they were witnessing. But suddenly, their backs had hit a wall that hadn’t been behind them before, stopping them from escaping and keeping them trapped at the mercy of the collapsing room. They watched in horror as the final sheet of paper dropped into the abyss below…

...and the two of them followed after, dropping down into the deep void of darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND SO THE STORY BEGINS! >)
> 
> Kris and Susie have a very strong distaste for each other for a while in this. I promise that soon enough, they will get along and become good friends! Like every rocky relationship, these two have a LOT to work out before they find a common ground.
> 
> I really hope you liked this chapter! Writing Kris is a blast and I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing this! As usual, comments aren't mandatory but greatly appreciated! <3


	8. Enter the Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kris and Susie find themselves in a new land. What in the world is going on?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally entering the Dark World!! The adventure is beginning!! I hope you're as excited for this as I am cuz I'm super stoked lol
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! Let's see how Kris is holding up.

Cold fingertips dug into the dirt as Kris slowly began to regain his senses. His body felt sore, thrumming with a numb feeling from his head to his toes. He flexed his fingers to regain feeling in his hands, which trailed to his arms and soon he was able to prop himself up on his elbows. Since when had he been laying down in the first place? His mind was hazy.

Slowly, the human pushed himself upward, dizziness causing his mind to swirl and his vision blurred in and out of focus. A headache was quickly rising and pounding in his skull as he sat up, and a sick feeling harshly filled his stomach. Kris slumped his head with a groan, causing his dark hair to fall forward before his eyes as he raised a hand to his temple to ease the throbbing…

But froze at the unfamiliar feeling of cloth touching his forehead.

Blinking, Kris lowered his hand before his face, seeing now that it was protected by a thick white glove; something he  _ knew _ he had never put on or even  _ owned  _ for that matter. His other hand, too, was matched with an identical glove, and he stared at his palms with confusion only to realize stranger things beyond them.

His arms were bare of his sweater sleeves--a style choice he did  _ not _ often choose--and even stranger, his skin wasn’t its usual olive tan shade, but an unnatural icy blue. His eyes went wide with shock as he trailed the tips of his gloved fingers along the arm of his oddly colored flesh. He glanced over his legs before him to inspect any other strange changes he should be aware of.

His legs were covered, which relieved him greatly, but he appeared to be in a black bodysuit of some kind. Slick and fitted. Was it _latex?_ **_Super weird._** It hugged his body quite snugly, but was still somehow breathable and comfortable. An interesting outfit, but an absolute _disaster_ for him to be wearing. Kris couldn’t stand clothes that clung to his body. He was already missing his baggy sweater, wherever it was now.

Beyond confused and concerned for this sudden change of appearance, Kris pushed himself to his feet. His new white boots scuffed into the grey dirt of the ground and the armor plate protecting his abdomen weighed him down in an unfamiliar way as he glanced about his surroundings. The land was completely bare, dull with greys along the foreign terrain. Strange plateaus lined the horizon as far as he could see, sloping into steep cliffs that dipped into the surrounding darkness.

Needless to say, it was clear that he wasn’t in school anymore.

The anxious feeling Kris had felt in the supply closet was quickly returning as he cautiously made his way toward the cliff’s edge nearby, daring to peer down below to see just how high up the plateau he stood upon was. Upon being met with an endless black abyss, he quickly regretted the choice, stepping away as a chill rolled its way down his spine. No, this place was  _ nothing _ like home or any place he had ever seen before in his life.  _ Just where the hell was he? _

He inhaled slowly, trying to ease his nerves; to keep the churn in his stomach at bay and calm the swirling thoughts in his mind. He couldn’t panic. There was no time for that. He had to figure out where he was and how to get back home. He got here somehow, so there had to be a way back out, right? And Susie… she was around here somewhere, too, wasn’t she? She had fallen into that strange dark abyss as well, so she must have been just as confused and freaked out as he was feeling.

Shouldering the shoulder guard on his left arm and the strange cape-like cloth draped across his other, Kris began his journey into the unknown. There was only one way for him to go and that was forward. He couldn’t waste time fretting about any of this, even if his heart was pounding in his chest and an icy feeling rolled beneath his skin.

It wasn’t long into his walk that he caught a glimpse of something different among the dullness of the empty world around him. The boy turned his head to see a glimmer of light flickering oddly near the edge of the clearing he had entered. Its radiant shine was an ethereal sight among the soil of the land and stood out brilliantly in the darkness.

He wasn’t sure why, but the very sight of it felt familiar to Kris, and simply gazing upon it was already putting his mind at ease.

Slowly, Kris approached the flickering light. With every step forward, a warmth grew within him, comforting and soothing away his anxious feelings. Upon reaching it, he knelt down before the light and admired its glow curiously. The shimmer was strangely enticing, as if beckoning for him to touch it--to  _ feel _ the strange energy emanating from its core. Hesitantly, he reached a hand forward to brush his fingers along the spark.

The moment he made contact with the light, his entire body relaxed. It was as if the very warmth of the light melted away all of his worries and in an instant, his mind, heart, and body were at peace. For the first time since he had awoken in this bizarre new world and wandered aimlessly among its path, Kris was finally feeling calm and safe. His head was cleared and he was ready to brave the road to come.

**FILE SAVED.**

__________

Journeying alone in an unknown location was never something Kris particularly enjoyed. He wasn’t sure how long he had been wandering the strange cliffs. Had it been minutes?  _ Hours? _ It was hard to tell. The sky was a black space lacking a moon or even stars, destroying his sense of time in a strange and eerie way. He had absentmindedly checked his phone for the time occasionally, only to be met with the screen glitching and the numbers jumbling incomprehensibly.

The land hadn’t offered much change. There were nothing but grey cliffs and holes in the stone walls dripping an unidentifiable black ooze Kris wouldn’t dare to touch. Along the unmarked trail he was following, he would pass a series of strange antennae lining the higher plateau edges; long white stalks with orbs atop their shafts that wiggled and waved whenever he walked past them.

At times, he would catch a glimpse of a shadow in his peripheral that disappeared before he could catch them, fleeing along the higher cliffs and disappearing from view. He decided it was best not to think about it too much and hoped that what he was seeing was just his mind playing tricks on him.

Kris slid down yet another of the many slopes along the cliff walls on his way down the mountain and found himself standing in a clearing littered in strange piles of dust. They were large, standing inches taller than him and pulsing slowly as if  _ breathing. _ Unsettled and unsure of what to make of them, Kris had tried his best to avoid them, tiptoeing around them until he had spotted a quick shadow fleeing out from behind one and over to the next farthest dust pile.

He jumped at the sight, eyes going wide as he stared hard where he had seen the shadow hide. Okay. So shadows  _ were  _ moving around. He wasn’t seeing things, after all. He wasn’t particularly excited to find out just what had been following him this whole time, but seeing the shadow run away from him now filled him with a curious urge to catch it.

Cautiously, the human took careful steps toward the pile of dust, and once he had grown close, the large shadow had suddenly fled away from it to hide behind the furthermost pile of dust along the trail. Feeling more frustrated than nervous now, Kris frowned and followed his way to the next dust pile, prepared to confront whoever was playing tricks on him.

Being in a creepy new world was enough for his nerves and he was already thinking of some choice rants to lecture upon confronting his stalker. The boy approached the final dust pile, watching as it quivered more with every step he took forward. Steeling himself, he reached out a gloved hand to tap the dust pile--

_ “H-HEY! BACK OFF! COME ANY CLOSER AND I’LL--” _

Kris recoiled with a jolt as the dust pile dispersed in a burst, scattering into the air and revealing a very tall and startled purple lizard girl. They stared at each other with wide eyes, bewildered as they took in each other’s appearances and realized just who they were staring at. The shadow that had been fleeing from Kris had been Susie all along, and just as he had changed, she also appeared to be very different herself.

Her once purple scales were now pink and her dark hair had become a reddish violet. She was no longer wearing her usual blue hoodie and tattered jeans, but a black short sleeved jacket that trailed behind her back and a matching pair of black puffy pants. Her white t-shirt was now a violet turtleneck and her black sneakers were now knee-high boots. It was as if she had walked out of a weird fantasy video game, just as Kris felt he had, too. Just what in the world was happening?

“K-Kris?” As her shock finally subsided, Susie exhaled the breath she had been holding in a deep sigh, the tension in her shoulders easing out as she leaned back into her usual slouch, “Oh, thank god, it’s just you…”

Before Kris could even speak his own relief, he yelped as she suddenly punched his unprotected shoulder. He rubbed the now sore spot as Susie glared at him with aggravated yellow eyes, “God, don’t scare me like that,  _ dumbass! _ You nearly gave me a damn heart attack creeping after me like that! What, did you  _ wanna _ get clocked in the face?”

“... _ Good to see you, too, _ ” Kris huffed under his breath, continuing to rub at his possible new bruise as he glanced down the path behind the reptilian girl. It seemed the trail to come wasn’t all that different from what he had been wandering up until this point.  _ Great. _ At least he wouldn’t be exploring alone anymore, even if he didn’t particularly like the idea of being stuck here with  _ Susie _ of all people.

“Anyway, enough  _ screwing around _ ,” Susie gathered Kris’ attention again as she grabbed his shoulders harshly, looming over him with a frustrated desperation he wasn’t very familiar with seeing in her eyes,  “I don’t know how we got here or where  _ here _ even is, but I bet you’re the one who got us into this! So  _ you’re  _ gonna get us out!”

“W-What--?” Kris blanched at the sudden accusation, tugging himself away from her grip with an incredulous glare, “What possibly gave you  _ that _ idea? How is any of this  **_my_ ** fault?”

“Because I know  _ I _ didn’t get us dropped into freaky wonderland or whatever and you were the only other person there,” Susie indignantly huffed her conclusion as she turned to continue down the dirt path, grumbling and muttering to herself in annoyance, “The one time I’m stuck with the class  _ freak  _ and he gets me lost in a creepy dimension in a supply closet.  _ Just my fucking luck… _ ”

Kris watched in disbelief as the lizard girl continued to storm off without him, entirely unsure of what to make of any part of this situation. A part of him wanted very badly to argue; to defend his case and point out that they wouldn’t have even ended up in that closet if it wasn’t for her weird habit of eating  _ school supplies _ . He wanted so badly to shout this, to express just how much she infuriated him and how he didn’t even really understand why she hated him so much when he literally did  _ nothing _ to her ever in all the time they knew each other.

Though he wanted so badly to respond and lose his temper, he simply couldn’t find it in him to do so. There was no point in arguing, no point in  _ fighting _ . They were both lost and bickering would get them nowhere. Susie was hard to deal with, but he knew that he had no choice but to put up with her nonsense.

“ _ Keep talking to me like that and we’ll  _ **_see_ ** _ if I’ll help you out of this, _ ” he muttered to himself before following to catch up with her quick strides.

Together, the duo continued down the trail, Susie keeping a great distance from Kris as he trailed meters behind her. For someone claiming that it was  _ his job _ to get them back home, she was wasting no time in attempting to completely abandon him. Not that Kris cared. He didn’t really want to be near her either, even if they were stuck in this bizarre situation together.

Over the edge of a cliffside, he watched as Susie slid her way down another slope, disappearing from his view and making her way for the next lowest platform. He hurried to follow after her, jogging over to the slope and sliding his way down as well only to see she had suddenly stopped ahead along the trail. She seemed distracted,  _ cautious _ .

Suddenly apprehensive, Kris made his way over to her side as quickly as he could, looking to her inquisitively as she continued to stare above. Beneath her bangs, he could see that her brows were furrowed and her bright eyes were squinting, concentrating to see something.

“Hey… Do you see that?” She finally spoke, pointing a clawed finger upward to a tall pillar beside them, “Up there. Looks like someone’s waving at us? Any idea what they want?”

Blinking with confusion, Kris followed her pointing finger to glance up above them to the distant pillar of stone. Sure enough, there was a silhouette of a small person standing up there, shadowed in the distance and waving at them to catch their attention. Kris couldn’t make out the stranger’s face from where he was, but their eager movements were impossible to miss.

For some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had  _ seen _ this stranger’s figure before. Was this perhaps the shadow he had seen stalking after him while he was alone instead of Susie?

He didn’t have much time more to think about it as the figure’s hand suddenly went still. They flexed their fingers and slowly, two spade-shaped objects faded into existence at their sides. With a flick of their wrist, the spades were suddenly thrown at Kris and Susie at a violent speed, narrowly missing them as they both cried out and jumped out of the way.

The sharp weapons had nearly sliced Kris’ arm and Susie’s leg, leaving them stunned as they both looked back up to the strange attacker. The silhouette was already raising their arms once again, summoning more of the strange spade-shaped bullets to throw another onslaught at them. The shadowed stranger was proving to be very hostile and the teen duo got the message immediately.

“S-Shit--” Susie gasped as she turned to flee down the mountain path, “ **_Run, Kris!_ ** ”

__________

Somewhere deep within the dark void, an empty town rests. Strange curved buildings of black and blue twist together in eccentric shapes, vacant and lacking any life to inhabit them. The roads were silent aside from the gentle breeze that tugged at the leaves of shrubbery and rustled them about. In the very center of it all, a pillar of darkness rose high into the blackness of the sky, protected within the dark blue stone of a palace surrounding its base.

Within this palace, a lone monster lives within, going about his daily routines. He had diligently practiced magic from dawn until noon, then spent his afternoon cooking himself lunch before cleaning and knitting a scarf in his living space. And now, he had moved to his garden in the castle throne room, tending to his beautiful, healthy azure flowers that he had been taking care of since they had been spawned into existence.

Several times a day, the lonely prince rehearsed a story he had been taught a year ago, whispering it to himself as he went about his day and completed his tasks. It was a legend that he had to tell to his fated visitors, travelers from the World of Light that he had the privilege of meeting and accompanying on a journey, provided to him by his own teacher who had disappeared shortly after and left him alone to prepare.

And prepare he did. He rehearsed all day and night and kept the castle tidy and presentable for whenever the Lightners would arrive. Every day he would wander into town, inspecting the buildings to ensure that they were in top form and tending to the plant life around the town square. Sometimes he would pass the training dummy he had crafted and sewn himself to match his likeness on the edge of the town, offering it a “hello” and a friendly hug despite its inability to return the kindness.

An entire year had passed and he still hadn’t met the heroes from the Light World, but he never gave up hope and stayed true to his daily routines. He had to be ready for when they arrived and everything had to be perfect for their arrival. It was his job to give them a proper welcome, after all. He wanted to do his best, not only for them, but for his Teacher’s wish.

The prince hummed a soft tune to himself as he watered his royal garden, tending to every beautiful petal with love and care. He believed that the day had been a very productive and good day, even if it was simple and no different from the last. As he watered the final patch of flowers, he wondered what he should do with the rest of his day. Perhaps he could reread one of his favorite books? Paint a picture? Maybe he could finish sewing that lovely yellow dress he was nearly done adding ribbons to--

**_BOOM!_ **

He nearly dropped his watering can as an explosive sound bursted loudly in the distance. The Prince froze, glancing up to the stain glass windows high above for any sign of a problem. He was only met with the familiar sight of the Fountain of Darkness flowing into the air from the castle’s center. There hadn’t  _ seemed _ to be anything out of place and he worried that he had simply imagined the sound, but he stood still to listen closely.

More violent blasts followed the first, rapid and harsh as if attacking something. Upon listening closer, he could hear the sound of yells.

_ Was it time? Had the Lightners arrived? _

Startled, but still unsure, the prince had quickly placed the watering can beside his gardening tools and hurried out of the royal garden. He dashed down halls and up flights of stairs until he had reached a balcony with a view in the direction of where he was hearing the sounds. Just as he feared, on the horizon of distant grey plateaus, dust was rising from what he could only assume was a battle far away. It seemed as though something was fast approaching the Empty Kingdom, and it was now that the Prince realized just how important this was.

_ The Lightners were coming and he had to be ready for them. _

“ _ Oh, my gosh-- _ ” He gasped as he rushed from the balcony and back down the halls. It was time. It was  _ finally time _ . He needed to be quick and gather his things and prepare one final time. He had rehearsed more times than he could count and he knew the legend word for word, just as he was taught to tell it. Everything was in its place and he was ready to greet them when they arrived. He knew he could do this; he was absolutely ready for this.

_ But why did he suddenly feel so nervous? _

The Prince had burst into his room and grabbed his traveling satchel from his desk, scooping his spellbook and journal inside with other essentials he had nearby. Once the things were packed, he gathered up his green hat and his grey hooded cloak from atop his bedroom dresser. As he headed out of his room and back down the hall, he hastily began placing his things upon himself, slinging his satchel strap around his shoulders and wrapping his cloak around himself.

He softly murmured the legend to himself once more to be  _ certain _ that he hadn’t forgotten any part of the story, mumbling it word for word as he placed his hat upon his fluffy white head, his snowy fur shadowed black. He didn’t need to stress. He had everything memorized. There was no way he could mess this up after countless hours of practicing everyday. He had it so memorized he was  _ sure _ the Lightners were going to be blown away.

_ The Lightners…  _ He was going to meet Lightners for the first time ever. He was going to meet new people and go on an  _ adventure _ with them. He was about to meet and make some new  **friends** .

A giddiness fluttered in his belly at the idea. He had waited so long for this moment. Everything was going to be just fine, he was sure of it. He would teach the Lightners the importance of kindness and peace and together, they would change the world for the better!

“Teacher… I  _ won’t _ disappoint you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two Lightners have arrived and our Prince of Darkness is preparing to fulfill his purpose. Soon, our heroes will meet and their journey will begin... What does the future have in store for these young warriors?
> 
> GUESS WE'LL FIND OUT NEXT WEEK!
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading this chapter! As usual, comments aren't mandatory but absolutely appreciated! <3


	9. The Heroes' Legend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kris and Susie learn their goal and purpose in this Dark World. Together, they meet a new companion as well as a new enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit on the longer side with new (or rather, familiar) faces making an appearance. It's time for the gang to meet up! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Kris coughed as the dust and dirt clouding around him settled, his body sore from the tumble he had taken down the steep mountain slope to escape the spade throwing attacker. He sat hunched upon the ground, huffing to catch his breath as he stumbled back to his feet. He patted down his clothing to dust away the dirt and shook the debris from his hair before turning to get a look at his new location.

The world was a different color now. The dull monochrome stones he had grown accustomed to were now deep blues and violet shades. He glanced back up the cliffside he had fled down, taking in the sight of the cold colors slowly fading into the greys of the mountainous location he and Susie had just fallen down from.

_ Susie… _ Right. She had jumped down the slope before he did. Was she alright?

Kris scanned his surroundings some more, searching for his purple haired acquaintance only to realize that this new location wasn’t nearly as simple as the last. He found himself standing in a blue-lined path of black soil that led him further to the East, and farther down along the path, he could see tall walls of black brick lining the paths edge lit with beautifully flickering blue torch lights. Along the path stood Susie, gazing onward beyond the walls and seemingly awestruck.

Not entirely eager to see what she could possibly be looking at  _ this time _ , Kris made his way down the path to join her, eyeing the torch lights along the wall as he made his way closer. Noticing him approach, Susie shot a glance his way, brows raised beneath her bangs.

“Oh, you’re not dead,” she spoke nonchalantly with a smirk, “ _ Sweet. _ ”

“Thanks for the concern,” Kris scoffed, clearing his throat of remaining grime, “Guess we lost them?”

“Hopefully,” Susie began to wander toward the entrance between the walls and Kris followed after, “Got any idea where the heck this place is?”

The tall stone walls appeared to be protecting a strange town. The buildings on either side of the pathway were unnatural, curving at odd angles with their windows and doors stretched along with their shape. They had little signs above every door, indicating what they were with imagery and faint words on the sign. It was a very surreal sight, like something out of an abstract painting.

“Maybe someone around here can help us out,” Susie made her way for the nearest building, pausing to inspect its structure before she approached the door. Raising a fist, she pounded at the door with hard knocks, “Hey! Anyone in there? We’re lost or something!”

Kris made his way to the building on the opposite side of the pathway, baring a sign that simply had a question mark over the door. These buildings seemed awfully small;  _ disproportionately _ so. He tilted his head to look into the strangely small window, squinting as he peered inside. Much to his surprise, the building appeared to be entirely empty. Not a single piece of furniture sat in the eerily vacant room, almost as if the building was a prop stage for a movie.

“I think this town is empty,” he called back to Susie, who was still violently pounding on the door and demanding an answer.

She paused in her pounding to turn his way, a frustrated look in her eyes, “The hell? Then why’s all of this stuff here?”

“Dunno, but there might be someone further in,” Kris stepped back from the empty building, returning to the grey pathway and peering down to see where it ended. Further in appeared to be a town square, surrounded by the odd shaped buildings and pale green bushes.

He perked up as yet another sparkling light appeared to be in the center. He was still unclear on what they were exactly, but being near them relaxed him greatly. Deciding that the sparkle was more than likely lighting the way he needed to go, Kris made his way down the pathway to meet it. Susie let out a sigh as she moved to follow after him.

As the duo approached the clearing in the center of the town, they could get a clear view of the world beyond. The land they were standing upon appeared to still be elevated quite high and the town appeared to be surrounding a deep crater in the earth. From deep within, they could see a strange black geyser flowing up high, melting into the darkness of the sky among the twinkling cyan stars. The closer they reached the center of town, the more they could see over the crater’s edge.

Kris crouched beside the flickering light and reached out his hand to brush his fingers along the sparks, his body feeling calm once more as he gazed down at the view below them.

At the edge of the town square sat a stone stairway leading deep down into the crater, and far below stood a tall, looming castle of dark stone. Just as the rest of the town was, its spires curved upward, but unlike the building they had seen, the structure of the palace seemed more practical and solid. Tall, wing shaped structures spread out from the castle’s sides, standing high and elegantly proud. The strange black pillar seemed to be rising from the building’s center, and the teens found themselves taking in the sight with wonder.

“Is that… a castle? How the hell is there a castle inside a supply closet?” Susie murmured to herself as she observed the view before she shot a confused look to Kris crouched at her side, “Also, what are you doing? Now’s not the time to be sitting around.”

Kris blinked out of his daze at her words, turning to glance up at the tall reptile at his side. The judging look she was giving him made his face flush with embarrassment. What did she mean “ _ what was he doing?” _ Could she not see that he was touching the light on the ground between them?

A chill rushed through him as a realization struck him.  _ Was he the only one seeing the light? _ Did it look to her like he was holding a hand out for absolutely no reason?

“...Uh--” He stammered brilliantly as he retracted his hand from the possibly invisible light, “I just… um… thought I dropped something?”

Though entirely unconvinced, Susie rolled her eyes and accepted the excuse anyway, muttering a grumbled  _ “weirdo” _ before continuing to make her way for the stairway leading into the deep crater. Taking this as a sign that he should stop fooling around, the flustered Kris stood back to his feet and followed after the girl, head lowered to hide his embarrassed blush as they headed down the to the castle together. He would have to worry about what those sparkles were later.

__________

As they reached the bottom of the stairway, they found themselves at the entrance of the large castle. The palace walls loomed high above, towering over them tall as the dark pillar within accentuated its size. The two teens gazed upon it in awe as they paused at the end of the staircase, taking in the sight of its structure.

High above the entrance wall was an emblem, one that immediately caught Kris’ attention. A circle with large rounded wings, hovering above three triangles that sat angled below it. He wasn’t so sure why, but he was almost certain he had seen this emblem before; he just couldn’t remember  _ where _ .

This castle was unlike anything Kris had ever seen in his life. It looked mystical, like something out of a fairytale, yet he couldn’t deny that everything he was seeing was real. After all of the scuffling falls and dark bruises he had been gaining on his way here, he figured he was well past the point of needing to be  _ pinched _ to be sure this wasn’t a dream.

“Is this some kind of like…  _ super weird theater stage _ or something?” Susie blurted out, snapping Kris from his thoughts, “How’d they even get the school this huge? None of this makes any sense!”

Kris shot her an incredulous look and considered calling out how silly she was being to even  _ assume _ they were still at school or anywhere in their hometown, but was stopped as an odd voice echoed within the area.

_ “ _ **_Welcome, heroes…!_ ** _ ” _

The duo jumped as they both glanced about in shock, searching for the source of the voice and reflexively backing closer to one another.

“W-Who’s there?!” Susie gasped, fists raised and ready to fight. They turned to the castle entrance where they spotted a small hooded figure that they hadn’t noticed standing before the blue wooden doors of the castle entrance. The two eyed the cloaked stranger with suspicion, watching them cautiously as they stayed in their defensive stances.

_ “ _ **_Do not be alarmed,_ ** _ ” _ the hooded figure continued calmly, gently,  _ “ _ **_I am not your enemy. Please come forward, both of you._ ** _ ” _

Kris and Susie hesitated, exchanging a glance at each other as they silently contemplated what to do. Slowly, they eased out of their tense positions before complying to the stranger’s request. Together, the human and the lizard girl approached the small hooded person, keeping a fair distance as they looked him over and waited to hear what he wanted.

The hooded stranger seemed different from the small silhouette that had chased and attacked them just minutes before.The shadow of their hood was so dark that it was impossible to make out a face within the darkness. The way his dark cloak billowed lightly on the breeze added to the air of mystery this stranger held, and Kris found himself deeply intrigued despite his weary judgement. 

_ “ _ **_Welcome,_ ** _ ” _ the hooded stranger greeted once again,  _ “ _ **_I am the Prince of this Kingdom… The Kingdom of Darkness._ ** _ ” _

_ A Prince? The Kingdom of Darkness? _ Kris wasn’t sure of what to make of such a title. It only added to his confusion and disbelief of how much this strange world felt like something out of a fantasy novel.

_ “ _ **_Kris, Susie…_ ** _ ”  _ The classmates stiffened as the stranger spoke their names, urged to question his knowledge of who they were, but he continued without hesitation,  _ “ _ **_There is a legend in this land. A legend that one day, two heroes of the light will arrive, and fulfill the ancient prophecy foretold by time and space. Please, Heroes… Listen to my tale..._ ** _ ” _

The Prince silently waited for his so-called “Heroes” to reply. Uncertain, Kris and Susie shared a glance. Kris could see in Susie’s expression that she wasn’t buying anything the stranger was saying, her yellow eyes seeming to ask him if they should just leave or not. While Kris fully understood the feeling and felt unsettled himself, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this might be important, even if it was an outlandish story. They were already very lost; what was the harm in humoring this peculiar boy?

“...Okay,” Kris confirmed as he faced back to the Prince, Susie shooting a baffled glare the human’s way for agreeing to this before reluctantly offering her full attention as well.

The Prince gave a small grateful nod, then outstretched his arms at his side. The tattered ends of his cloak fluttered lightly on the breeze as he prepared to tell them the tale of their fate,  _ “ _ **_Very well, then. Please, listen closely…_ ** _ ” _

__________

_ “Once upon a time, a  _ **_legend_ ** _ was whispered among shadows. _

_ It was a legend _

_ of  _ **_Hope_ ** _. _

_ It was a legend _

_ of  _ **_Dreams_ ** _. _

_ It was a legend _

_ of  _ **_Light_ ** _. _

_ It was a legend _

_ of  _ **_Dark_ ** _. _

_ This is the legend of… _

**_DELTA RUNE_ ** _. _

_ For millennia,  _ **_Light_ ** _ and  _ **_Dark_ ** _ have lived in balance, bringing peace to the world. But if this harmony were to shatter… a terrible calamity would occur. The sky will run black with terror and the land will crack with fear. Then, her heart pounding… The  _ **_Earth_ ** _ will draw her final breath. _

_ Only then, shining with hope, three  _ **_Heroes_ ** _ appear at Worlds’ edge. A  _ **_Human_ ** _ , a  _ **_Monster_ ** _ , and a  _ **_Prince from the Dark_ ** _. Only they can seal the fountains and banish the  _ **_Angel’s Heaven_ ** _. Only then will balance be restored, and the  _ **_World_ ** _ saved from destruction. _

_ Today, the  _ **_Fountain of Darkness_ ** _ \--the geyser that gives this land form--stands tall at the center of the kingdom. But recently, another fountain has appeared on the horizon… and with it, the balance of  _ **_Light_ ** _ and  _ **_Dark_ ** _ begins to shift…” _

__________

As his story concluded, the Prince lowered his arms and his hands disappeared within his cloak once more. He quietly watched the heroes’ expressions, taking in the information he had just dished out to them. Kris’ expression remained neutral as he took in his words, finding them a bit difficult to digest but trying to make sense of it all. Susie remained skeptical, continuing to glare dubiously with her arms crossed over her chest.

_ “ _ **_Kris, Susie… Thank you for listening to my long tale,_ ** _ ” _ the Prince concluded softly, taking a low bow of gratitude,  _ “ _ **_I deeply believe that you two are the Heroes of the Legend; that despite whatever enemies you may face, you two will have the courage to save the world…!_ ** _ ” _

In a flourish, the hooded Prince reached out a hand to his new companions, the movement causing his cloak to flutter, the wind accompanying the wave dramatically as he continued with a confident finish.

_ “ _ **_DELTA WARRIORS! Please, won’t you accept your destiny…?_ ** _ ” _

The silence that followed his grand introduction was heavy as the two chosen “heroes” stared upon the hooded Prince, speechless. What could they even say to such a fantastical story? Heroes of Legend? Sealing away Fountains of Darkness? It sounded too outlandish to be true, but with what they were seeing and experiencing, could they really deny the possibility?

Hesitant, Kris had begun to speak a reply when he was interrupted by Susie’s huff.

“Uhhh…  _ Nah. _ ”

Both the human and the Dark Prince turned to her, equally surprised by her blatant answer. Kris supposed he should have expected no less from Susie of all people, but the prince was immediately shaken by her blunt decline.

_ “ _ **_W-What? But, Susie--_ ** _ ” _

“Me? Some kind of  _ hero _ or something?” The grin on Susie’s face was condescending as she snorted a snicker, eyes rolled, “Sorry, but you’ve got the  _ wrong _ person.”

_ “ _ **_B-But Susie,_ ** _ ” _ the Prince was beginning to sound desperate now and Kris could practically feel his stress from across the entrance yard,  _ “ _ **_You can’t just-- Without you the-- The entire world will--_ ** _ ” _

“ _ So what? _ ” Ever stubborn, Susie turned to glance around the area with disinterest, her hands lowered and shoved into her jacket pockets, “Who cares? If the world gets destroyed, it’s none of  _ my _ damn business. Might even be kinda fun actually...”

Kris couldn’t hold back the disdainful glare he shot her way. He had to admit, he wasn’t too sure that he really believed what they were being told either, but to decline in such a selfish and childish way felt very uncalled for in his eyes. The Prince remained shocked silent, his chagrin for her rude response leaving him unsure of what to say or do. Though his face remained hidden, it was clear that he was nervous, entirely unexpecting of such a harsh reply.

Catching Kris’ dirty look, Susie shot him a glare of her own, brow quirked as if to challenge him to even try to chastise her for being blunt, “What? You believe any of this garbage? Look, if  _ you _ wanna play pretend with this weirdo, you can stick around, but  **_I’m_ ** going to find a way out of here.”

And just like that, she was already turning on heel to leave for the stairs. Not really surprised to see her go, Kris made no effort to stop her, simply watching with a disapproving look as she began to make her exit. However, the once collected Prince had now began to panic, his shadowed hands reaching out as he desperately tried to keep her present.

_ “ _ **_Susie…! Wait--_ ** _ ” _

**_C R A S H ! !_ **

It was all so sudden--so abrupt and entirely out of nowhere. Susie froze in her escape as she and Kris turned back just in time to see the aftermath of the disaster that had just unfolded. Where the hooded Prince was once standing, a flaming bicycle was in his place.

Straddling the seat of the bike was a new face, but familiar shape; a boy in a blue hood and a black leotard with a matching blue spade print on the chest. His white face was shadowed by his hood, a wet black nose peeking out from beneath and his dog-like mouth pulled into a wide and toothy grin. He looked just as wacky as his unanticipated entrance was, and the hero duo gawked at him with disbelief.

This bizarre character was undoubtedly the shadowy figure that had attacked them before.

Kris’ eyes trailed across the ground and caught a glimpse of the Dark Prince, collapsed to the ground like a ragdoll meters away from where he had once stood. Did the bike riding stranger just suddenly appear out of nowhere and  _ ram into him? _ And no one even saw him coming? Was the Prince even alive after being hit at such a speed and force?

“ _ Ho ho ho!! _ ” The blue bike riding boy chortled with glee, as he turned to grin his goofy grin at the two startled onlookers, “The heroes are already running away and they didn’t even know I was here! My dad’s gonna make me  _ son of the month! _ ”

“Who the hell are you?!” Susie was already back at Kris’ side, their guards raised as the boy gave them his best sneer.

Showing off, the attacker popped a wheelie on his bicycle, holding a balanced pose as he pointed a gloved finger to the sky in triumph before beginning his speech, “Simple! I’m the  **_bad guy_ ** _! _ You clowns wanna seal our Dark Fountain, huh? And-- _ still picturing you guys as  _ **_clowns_ ** _ \-- _ save your world from eternal darkness, right?!”

Still baffled by how strangely and quickly this situation was moving, Kris glanced between the self-proclaimed  _ “bad guy” _ and Susie at his side with confusion, entirely unsure of what he was meant to do in this exact situation. Susie had relaxed out of her tense stance after giving the new boy a glance over, all concern and interest seeming to leave her expression in an instant.

“... _ Eh, _ ” she shrugged, disregarding the boy’s threat with a deadpanned huff.

“Hah! Don’t try to deny it!” The boy continued, his finger now moving from its triumphant gesture to the sky to point at the two heroes across the yard, “We both know you’ll go east! It’s your only way home! But I,  _ Lancer _ , won’t let you get there! And I’ve got a flawless two step plan to ensure it! Step one:  _ I thrash you! _ Step two:  **_You lose!!_ ** ”

He had to admit, despite the seemingly dire circumstances, Kris couldn’t bring himself to take any of this seriously. Everything about this situation seemed so bizarre;  _ silly _ even. It felt like everything had just gone from a grand “dungeons and dragons” plotted quest to a strange childish game. Even if this boy-- _ Lancer _ , as he called himself--posed a real threat, Kris wasn’t sure he could really be that big of a challenge.

_ Funny… Since when did Kris feel so confident in himself? _

“Hmm… Nice plan, kid,” Susie smirked as she stepped forward, showing off her rows of razor sharp teeth as she cracked her knuckles. Her bold threat caused something to stir inside of Kris and he held a sharp look of his own at their new enemy, “Mind if we use it on  _ you _ instead?”

In unison, the two heroes of light reached out their hands, grasping at the air as if by second nature. Seemingly out of nothing, objects appeared in their hands, and the two of them whipped them out to reveal battle weapons they didn’t even realize they had. Grasped in Kris’ right hand was a long, rose-colored broadsword, which he clasped with both hands as he stared at it in wonder. Since when did he have such an item? As a human, he wasn’t capable of magic, so where in the world could he have summoned it from?

Glancing to his side, he saw that Susie, too, was wielding a larger weapon; a  _ battle axe _ . She stared to it with mild surprise, just as confused as he was, but quickly recovered as a violent grin tugged at her lips. She was  _ excited  _ about this. Kris wasn’t too sure of how to feel about that, but now was not the time to worry about Susie’s behavior.

Lancer was now in a battle ready stance, his blue tongue lolled goofily from his mouth  as he raspberried a silly motor revving sound to match his bicycle. From the ground across the way, the Prince was recovering from the violent assault that had practically knocked him unconscious just in time to see what was happening. He struggled to his hands and knees as he watched the heroes and the spade enemy prepare for a battle. Silently observing, he anxiously spectated as he tried to regain his strength and figure out a way to intervene.

“Don’t know where this axe came from, but that’s cool,” Susie chuckled darkly as she shot Lancer a wild grin, brandishing her new toy menacingly, “Square up! Show us what you’ve got already, punk!”

Despite the blade in his hand and his combat prepared stance, Kris wasn’t exactly sure he wanted to engage in a fight here. He was sure that they would defeat him easily, having the advantage of the two-on-one fight, but he felt overwhelmed with an urge he couldn’t exactly describe. This situation, despite being entirely new, was very familiar to him. He was absolutely certain there was a way around this fight the didn’t require any battling or bloodshed.

Focusing hard on Lancer from across the yard, Kris suddenly felt as though he wasn’t only seeing the spade wearing boy, but seeing  _ through  _ him. He wasn’t sure how, but the harder he observed, the more he was beginning to realized he knew more about this stranger than he had before.

**_LANCER - AT 7  DF 1_ **

He could see clearly with his lack of armor that he wasn’t very strong, despite his insanely powerful onslaught of spades from before. Knowing this suddenly made Kris feel nervous about fighting the younger boy, and he became apprehensive at the thought of hurting him a little too much.  _ Maybe there was another way around this? _

Just as he was weighing his options, he noticed Susie was already moving forward, her expression dark and dangerous as she stalked forward before going into a full on charge at Lancer, who was seemingly distracted already as he showed off his bike tricks on the other end of the battlefield. She rose her axe and Kris could tell that whatever she was planning to do was sure to do fatal damage to the blue boy. His heart lurched and he acted before he could think.

“ _ Lancer, look out! _ ” He blurted out, and Lancer focused on the fight again instead of trying to look cool. He let out a rather undignified yelp as he narrowly dodged his bike out of the way of Susie’s vicious swing, her axe slamming harshly into the bricked ground with a deafening clash.

Angered, the reptilian girl glanced back over her shoulder at Kris with infuriated yellow eyes, her teeth bared with annoyance, “What the hell? Why are you helping the enemy?!”

“Nice try, but this bike is fueled on  _ victory!! _ ” Lancer mocked with a cheer as he pedalled at his bicycle quickly, charging back at the heroes as he rose his hand to summon more of his spade shaped bullets. Kris and Susie quickly jumped out of the way, the spades following after just barely grazing them and slicing into their clothing.

Frustrated, Susie groaned and began to chase after Lancer, swinging her axe wildly as he rode away from her, all the while laughing his boisterous  _ “ho ho ho” _ s as he fled and dodged her strikes. Kris watched the wacky shenanigans unfolding before him with furrowed brows, the scene no longer appearing dangerously threatening, but ridiculously absurd as they ran circles around the yard like something out of a cheesy comedy act. At least Lancer was warned and alert now.  _ Time for the next step. _

Taking Susie’s heated distraction as an opportunity, Kris studied Lancer from a distance as he thought over what to do next. What else could he do to subdue Lancer without fighting? He wasn’t sure why, but the very idea of convincing a hostile enemy to stop attacking felt like something he had known and tried before. Like a distant memory, a thought occurred to Kris and he gave it a shot.

He didn’t know what he was doing or why he was doing it, but it felt right in the moment. Before he could back out of his decision, the human hero rose a gloved hand and snapped a dramatic point Lancer’s way, catching his attention with the flashy motion long enough for him to lend his ear.  _ Oh, god, how embarrassing. _ Kris had to say something fast!

“Hey! You look really great and I love the way I can’t tell the difference between your clothes and your body!”

**_Oh, dear god above, put him out of his misery and kill him now._ **

At once, everyone in the area froze in their movements, pausing with bewilderment as all three turned to blankly stare at Kris with disbelief. He couldn’t tell if they were disappointed at how awkward that compliment was or amazed at the level of cringe it left in its wake. Under everyone’s unreadable attention, Kris had felt his face grow very warm, the icy blue skin of his cheeks darkening cobalt as he flushed with embarrassment.

What a stupid thing to say. Did that even  _ qualify  _ as a compliment? Or was that just a  _ blatant insult? _ Kris wanted very badly to disappear at the moment.

However, despite Susie’s judging stare and the Dark Prince’s blank gaze from beneath his hood, Lancer had fully perked up at Kris’ words, his cheeks flushed pink as he squished them with his blue gloved palms.

“R-Really? For real?” He gasped, absolutely delighted, “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said about me!! Man, you’re making my feelings do sweet wheelies right now!!”

Everyone turned to look at Lancer now, their disbelief only seeming to increase upon seeing that Kris’ bizarre compliment actually worked. Was it really that easy to flatter Lancer? Honestly, after everything they had just witnessed from this introduction and fight, Kris supposed he shouldn’t be  _ too _ surprised.

Lancer’s giggling had come to a halt as a realization struck him, and he glanced down at his bicycle, the seemingly useless fire near the wheels now a dull flame as they seemed to be burning out, “Ah! Wait-- Timeout-- My bike’s running out of fuel…!”

He paddled his way toward the stairs Kris and Susie had descended to get here, popping another twirl on his back wheel to show off once again before pointing to the Heroes with a menacing grin, “Alright, you punk-a-roos! You had the luck of the draw this time, but next time, the losers will be  **_you_ ** _!  _ Later, losers!!”

And just as quickly as he had unexpectedly arrived, Lancer was already disappearing, paddling wildly and somehow managing to ride his bike up the stairs and away from the castle grounds. Kris and Susie simply watched on, bemused and at a loss for words as he quickly rode away and disappeared high over the crater’s horizon. Peace had returned to the yard and silence followed. The duo had nearly forgotten what they were doing before all of this began.

_ “ _ **_A-Are you two okay?_ ** _ ” _ The Dark Prince was now back on his feet, approaching Kris and Susie wearily as he glanced them over for any signs of injury from his distance.

Kris and Susie turned to face the worried Prince, Susie dusting off the dirt on her pants from all of her chasing and striking as Kris gave him a light nod in reply. The Prince gave a sigh of relief.

_ “ _ **_Goodness, this has all become such a big mess…_ ** _ ” _ The hooded figure murmured more to himself than to his companions before stammering a sheepish mumble,  _ “ _ **_U-Um-- Allow me to introduce myself more properly…! I am--_ ** _ ” _

“Ugh, geez, can you  _ take off that hood? _ ” Susie groaned as she patted away the last of the dirt on her legs, “I can  _ barely _ hear you under there.”

Flustered, the Prince paused and began to fidget. He seemed nervous at the idea and deliberating over whether or not he should comply. Kris and Susie stared at him, expectantly and curious and he found himself unable to decline any longer. With a soft sigh, the Prince of Darkness lowered his head.

_ “ _ **_U-Umm… Alright…_ ** _ ” _

Two timid shadowy hands reached up to unclasp the cloak wrapped around him, and with a tentative pause, the Prince took a deep breath before releasing his cloak and letting it fall from his shoulders.

Hidden beneath the grey cloth was a small monster, his fluffy fur shadowed black and his eyes glowing white from behind his round framed glasses. The hood fell away to reveal a large pastel green mage-like hat, its wide brim adding to the shadow masking his face and beneath it, two horn-like points peeked out from under the cloth. Wrapped loosely around his neck was a long pink scarf, covering up to his muzzle-like nose and his little fangs peaked out just enough to be seen.

Kris and Susie observed the little prince with wide eyes, surprised to see that the ominous figure was not as intimidating as he had appeared before. No, the hooded figure they had once known him for was a mysterious and eerie being, but what stood before them unmasked was simply the cutest thing either of them had ever seen.

“Um… Hello, everyone,” the prince greeted with a shy smile, “I’m  _ Ralsei. _ ”

His two shadowy paw-like hands appeared from beneath his green cloak, raising to fidget with the cloth of it between his fingers as he looked to his new allies with gentle eyes, “Kris, Susie, it’s ever so wonderful to meet you! I’m sure we’ll all become great friends and--”

“Best way to leave is east, right?” Susie interrupted with a deadpan, her expression as impassive as ever and a hand placed on her hip impatiently.

Ralsei blinked with surprise at her blunt statement, his friendly smile twitching anxiously as he hurriedly offered the lizard girl a hasty reply, “Oh, uh, yes! That’s where we’ll be--”

“Cool, got it,” Susie had interrupted him once again. Turning on heel, she was once again headed for the stairway and wasting no time to even spare the two of them a glance. Waving a hand lazily over her shoulder, she made her way up the stairs and left the human and the dark prince on their own, “ _ See ya at school, Kris. _ ”

Silently, the remaining heroes watched as their third companion left them, strolling up the tall stairway to take on the Dark World on her own. Ralsei frowned as he watched, his hands wringing at his cloak as a sad look filled his white eyes. He glanced to Kris, who simply watched Susie leave with indifference before he turned back to meet the fluffy prince’s gaze.

“Um… I guess it’s just the two of us, then,” Ralsei gave a light titter of a chuckle to ease the tension in the air. He stepped forward until he was at Kris’ side, glancing up at the fleeting sight of Susie’s back as she disappeared over the crater’s horizon just as Lancer had. With a sigh, he turned to look up at the taller human beside him.

“Kris… I’m a  _ prince _ , but… I, um… currently don’t have any subjects,” the little mage confessed, his cheeks glowing lightly pink beneath the shadows of his face, “I’ve actually been waiting here alone, um… my  _ whole life _ for you two to arrive. So, having company is, well… kinda of  _ new for me _ . But at the very least, I hope you and I will become great friends! I’m really happy to meet you.”

Something about the prince’s words caused Kris’ heart to swell. It wasn’t very often that someone told him they were excited to meet him, let alone wanted to become his  _ friend _ . But even so, he couldn’t shake the apprehensive feeling of suspicion that rose within him.

Kris had no reason to disagree or feel as though Ralsei would be dishonest, but this was all still very new to him. Having company, being in another world; everything felt as though it was springing onto him a bit too quickly for his taste. But at the same time, he couldn’t shake the odd feeling of confidence he felt here. Perhaps it was the fact that he was in a new place where no one knew him or the fact that Ralsei was so friendly and trusting in him.

Whatever this new feeling was, he wasn’t too sure that he disliked it.

“...Yeah,” he nodded with a small smile of his own, a look he definitely didn’t wear often, “Nice to, uh… meet you, too.”

Something in Ralsei’s eyes lit up at the sight of Kris’ smile and his own widened bashfully in return. The smaller boy turned his face away, hiding behind the brim of his hat before he made his way toward the stairs, “U-Um--! Right then! We should probably find Susie! The Dark World isn’t exactly a safe place and it’s certainly no safer for Lightners like you two! She should be to the southeast.”

Turning at the base of the stairway, Ralsei glanced over his shoulder with an encouraging grin, gesturing a hand for Kris to follow and the human boy wandered to catch up, “Let’s do our best together! You can lead the way, Kris!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND SO, OUR JOURNEY OFFICIALLY BEGINS!!
> 
> Kris, Susie, and Ralsei have finally met and discovered their new enemy, Lancer! Where does our journey go from here? I'm dying with anticipation!!
> 
> Also, I want to say once again! For a bit of a while in this fic, Kris and Susie will not be getting along, but further down the line these two will become very close and dear friends as they find things in common with one another. Don't worry! These kids will work out all of their issues!
> 
> That being said, thank you for reading this chapter and supporting this fanfic! You know the drill: comments aren't necessary, but they're absolutely appreciated! <3


	10. Entering the Unknown, Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kris and Ralsei begin their journey beyond the Empty Kingdom, but Ralsei is confronted by an old acquaintance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER TOOK A BIT OF TIME TO WRITE UP-- We're finally getting some bonding between the Dark Prince and his Human Hero! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> Also, as an aside, I have a [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/socordiasomnia) now! If you'd like to keep up with my projects and support, feel free to become a patron!
> 
> If you'd rather just support without month subscription, I also have a [Ko-fi Tip Jar](https://ko-fi.com/socordiasomnia) if that's more to your speed! Thank you in advanced if you feel so inclined!
> 
> Thank you for your time! Now then, lets move on to the new chapter! <3

“Wow, Kris! That was an amazing attack! You’re a natural!”

After the commotion of the fight with Lancer and losing Susie’s company, the lonely prince and the human hero were left on their own in the Empty Kingdom. Though they decided it best to waste little time in finding Susie before something happened to her ( _ “Or anyone else,” Kris pointed out _ ), Ralsei had hurriedly ushered Kris to a training ground that they had nearly passed, insisting that it would be a good idea to be prepared for the trials ahead.

And so, here they were; Ralsei instructing as Kris practiced combating a dummy that was stitched to Ralsei’s likeness. Needless to say, it was quite an adorable distraction.

Kris yanked his blade out of the dummy’s side, leaving behind a sliced dent that spilled out stuffing in white fluffy puffs of cotton. He couldn’t help but wince at the sight of the damage, even if it was simply an inanimate object incapable of feeling the pain, “Thanks, I guess. I’ve never, uh… used a  _ sword _ before.”

“And yet, even without training, you swing like a pro!” Ralsei cheered, clapping his paws in praise as he came forward to join at Kris’ side. He grimaced slightly as he inspected the damage on the dummy, “Gosh, you really did a number on the poor fella… But it’s okay! Fighting isn’t necessary, but there’s no harm in a thorough lesson, right?”

Reaching out a hand to the dummy’s side, Ralsei focused healing magic to the damaged burlap and the cotton tucked itself away as the stitching closed back. Kris watched with curious eyes as the dummy’s injury reverted back like new. He had seen plenty of healing magic in his day, what with his family being naturally talented healers, but he had never seen healing magic used on an object to mend damage before.

“Now then,” Ralsei continued, clasping his hands together as he backed away, giving Kris and his dummy replica room to continue, “Let’s move on to the next important step! I’m going to teach you the art of  _ ACTing! _ ”

“... _ Acting? _ ” Kris blinked with confusion, “What does acting have to do with this?”

Ralsei chuckled and shook his head, the fluffiness of his shadowed fur ruffling with the motion, “Not  _ that _ kind of acting. In this world, we call reasoning with our enemies  _ ACTing! _ Through various ACTs of kindness, we can convince even the most hostile enemies not to fight! You actually displayed this well during your fight with Lancer before. Don’t you remember?”

A frown soured Kris’ expression at the memory. Oh, yeah. He remembered making himself sound like an idiot in front of everyone and somehow managing to end the fight as a result. Sure, it got the job done, but it didn’t make the memory any less  _ embarrassing _ . Cheeks flushed, Kris gave a nod of understanding as he tucked his blade away as if to be sheathed, the sword disappearing in a flash.

“Excellent! Since you already know how it’s done, why don’t we give it a shot!” Ralsei turned to face his dummy twin with a smile, gesturing to it with a wave of his hand, “Though it’s just a dummy, why don’t you give it a hug, Kris?”

_ A hug? _ He supposed that wasn’t too bad. Kris wasn’t exactly one for physical affection, but it definitely beat the awkward struggle of trying to think of a good compliment to use. With another nod, Kris had stepped forward to meet the dummy, but paused as a sudden idea struck.

Silently, he side-eyed the prince at his side, who hadn’t noticed his gaze upon him as he smiled fondly at his stuffed creation. He wasn’t sure what it was about him that caught his interest. Perhaps it was his friendly personality or the way his fluffy fur beneath his hat and scarf reminded him so much of a soft teddy bear; of something  _ very familiar. _

PDA wasn’t something he often liked to indulge in and he usually tried to avoid it however possible, but what did it matter here? Why should he worry about what he usually would and wouldn’t do when he was in a new place where he could try new things? Maybe the Kris of this world could afford to be a little  _ indulgent _ from time to time.

Deciding to act before he could think too hard on it and back out, Kris instead made his way toward Ralsei, who turned to him with wide, curious glowing eyes and a tilt of his head. Before Ralsei could ask what he was doing and before Kris could even ask  _ himself _ what he was going to do, Kris had wrapped his arms around the smaller monster, pulling him into a gentle hug.

Ralsei stiffened in his tender grasp, unsure of what to do or how to react as Kris rested his cheek against his green hat. He stood, stunned for a moment before he let out a flustered squeak of a reply.

“K-Kris?! I-- I don’t think-- Um--” The prince could barely find his words, lowering his head to stare at his boots between their closeness of their bodies, “I-I don’t think this is… w-what you’re supposed to be doing… but…”

“... _ But? _ ” Kris murmured above him. Despite his soft tone and gentle hold, he was also very flustered about this decision he had made in the heat of the moment. It was taking a lot of stubborn willpower not to chicken out of holding this warm embrace.

Cheeks glowing a soft pink from his blush, Ralsei kept his head lowered as he fidgeted with his hands between them bashfully, “Kris… A-Are you, um… asking for me to give you a tutorial on hugging?”

Though abashed, the prince found himself easing into the human’s embrace, timidly leaning forward to rest his forehead on Kris’ scarf-covered shoulder. Something within Kris’ heart stirred as the smaller settled into his hold. He honestly didn’t expect for him to reciprocate so cozily, but certainly wasn’t complaining. The dark prince was just as soft as he suspected.

“S-Sorry if I’m… doing this wrong…” Ralsei’s mumble was barely audible over the cloth, “I’ve, um… never hugged  _ anyone _ before… Er--  _ Aside from the dummy to test it out _ \-- S-So, um, I don’t know anything about it… Sorry…” He carefully turned his head, weary of his hat shifting as he glanced away from Kris, a soft shrinking smile tugging at his lips, “I, uh… I suppose you’re the one teaching  _ me _ , huh…?”

_ Ugh. Too cute. Kris couldn’t  _ **_take_ ** _ it! _

Whether it was the realization of how awkward this position was or the acknowledgement that neither of them knew the proper etiquette of hugs, Kris had begun to feel terribly restless. His face flushed a deep blue as he wondered if this embrace was going on too long by this point, and Ralsei was beginning to feel the same as he came to his senses, fidgeting in his arms.

Stepping away from Kris hastily, the monster prince reached his hands up to adjust his slightly askew hat and repositioned his scarf to rest properly over his nose. His face was glowing a soft pink as he turned away from the human boy, clearing his throat as he regained himself.

“B-But, um, that’s enough of that!” He flustered, “You still have a dummy to hug! Why don’t you, uh, try that out again? O-On the dummy this time?”

Equally abashed, Kris gave a quick nod before he approached the dummy. He couldn’t shake the idea that the silly little stitched smile on the dummy’s face was smuggly judging him for the awkward display of affection he had just given the prince, but he gave it a gentle hug nonetheless. It was soft, but not nearly as soft as Ralsei’s fluffy form.

“Aww, excellent!” Ralsei applauded warmly, “You’re amazing at this! Of course, we can’t only hug our enemies to get by at all times, but with various ACTs of kindness, I’m sure we’ll make it through to the Fountain in no time at all!”

_ ACTs of kindness… _ What a silly thing. Relying solely on appeasing hostile enemies rather than fight back sounded so absurd; in fact, it was the complete opposite of what Kris would expect to be instructed to do if faced with a dangerous foe. However, it wasn’t like Kris  _ wanted _ to hurt anyone. He had no intentions to if it wasn’t necessary, so if this was the way things  _ should  _ be, he supposed it would be best to comply.

Kris released the dummy, giving it an affectionate pat on the head before turning to face Ralsei, who grinned proudly at him as he joined at his side, “That was fun! We can end our training there. Thank you for allowing me to teach you, Kris! Now then, shall we move on to find Susie? I’m sure she hasn’t gotten too far.”

__________

Together, the prince and the hero wandered along the path continuing beyond the Empty Kingdom’s protective walls, and it wasn’t long before the duo reached the end of the road; the tall stone border of the Great Wall.

As they drew near, Kris gazed upon the tall structure with awe, his crimson eyes shining with curiosity as he spotted the large, golden doors waiting opened at the end of the black pathway. Their intricate design and beautiful color contrasted sharply with the black and blue world around them, making the doors easily stand out among the darkness.

Trailing closely behind the ever intrigued Kris, Ralsei gazed upon the doors pensively. He was suddenly overwhelmed with a feeling he couldn’t quite describe. Perhaps it was  _ nostalgia? _ His mind wandered as his heart began to feel weighted, heavy with a feeling of contrition as memories he was sure he had suppressed well suddenly began to bubble back to the surface of his conscience.

Right… Only a year ago, the prince had crossed this border against his Teacher’s wishes. He had explored the unknown despite knowing he wasn’t ready to face the world beyond, and he hadn’t even made it far before he found himself in immense amounts of danger. He had been faced with two Rudinn guards, who had been so kind to him until they looked upon his unprotected face. They had threatened to capture him and nearly succeeded until…

Ralsei bit his lip. No, he didn’t need to think about this. He had suppressed the thought for a reason. He knew better than to let the past haunt him. All it ever did was make him feel sick and lightheaded. He could practically hear his Teacher’s chastising voice, scolding him for harping on things that no longer mattered; for stressing over trivial things and letting them get the better of him.

But even so, Ralsei had done everything he could to avoid the Wall, to stay away from the Great Door and hopefully forget that anything bad had ever happened there. He hadn’t gone near the doors since that horrible afternoon and foolishly neglected to acknowledge that he would go beyond the wall again with his new companions in the future. And now that the time had come, he was beginning to feel a bit nauseous and uncertain--

_ “Ralsei?” _

Snapped from his swirling thoughts, the little mage pulled his attention from the golden doors to lock eyes with Kris, who stared back with confusion. His brows were furrowed as he gave the prince a glance over, and Ralsei had finally realized he was waiting for an answer, “Y-Yes? Sorry, what did you say?”

“I asked if this was the exit,” Kris replied carefully, “I realized that was kind of a dumb question, since it’s the only way forward, but you looked really stressed for a second… You alright?”

_ Goodness, was it really that obvious? _ Shadowy cheeks flushing, Ralsei quickly shook his head as he conjured up an excuse, “N-No! I’m fine. It’s just that,  _ uhh _ , the Great Door! It’s open? And it really shouldn’t be? This must be how Lancer got in…”

It wasn’t the whole truth of why he was so distracted, but the Great Door being open was definitely a bad sign. The doors were meant to be closed at all times. Nothing was meant to enter from the outside, and yet the golden exit sat ajar and welcoming. Approaching the doors, Ralsei gazed upon their towering structure apprehensively as he paused near its threshold. He hesitated as he could see the distantly familiar shades of red and violet waiting just beyond. His stomach fluttered and twisted with a wistful feeling.

“...Kris. Once we pass through this door,” he began, “our adventure will  _ really _ begin. A journey foretold  _ exactly _ by the prophecy.”

Ralsei turned to face his human companion once more, taking in the sight of his expression. His naturally neutral visage was thoughtful, and it was clear that he was listening closely to whatever he had planned to say. The sight felt so familiar to him-- _ too _ familiar. It was strange, seeing just how alike Kris was to his creator. The vague sense of familiarity put his mind and heart at ease.

“...But Kris, I believe that  _ your _ choices are important, too,” Ralsei continued with a gentle smile, “This world is full of all kinds of people, and in the end, how we treat them makes all the difference. So… if you don’t  _ mind _ , I believe it would be wise to try our best to get by without fighting. Is that too much to ask…?”

There was a curious glint in Kris’ eyes at his request; a certain look that Ralsei couldn’t quite place. He couldn’t tell what he was thinking-- _ a feeling  _ **_all too familiar_ ** _ for the dark prince _ \--but something in his inquisitive gaze left him nervous. Was he suspicious of him for pressing such a matter? Had he actually asked  _ too much?  _

Ralsei had a goal to fulfill and a message to carry for the heroes to learn from. It was his duty to guide them down a righteous path, just as his Teacher instructed, and he planned to do his part. Surely all of this would work out if he tried hard enough. There was no room for failure, but if he was being too forward and pushy it might have the opposite effect--

“... _ I think I can handle it, _ ” Kris replied with a shrug, stepping onward to pass Ralsei toward the giant doors. He passed the prince, giving his shoulder a reassuring pat as he continued for the exit, “Don’t worry. I’m pretty sure I’ve got the whole  _ ‘Peace and Love’ _ thing down. C’mon, let’s go catch up with Susie.”

Ralsei watched, stunned as the human continued to lead the way out of the Empty Kingdom. It was that easy? He didn’t mind at all? Ralsei’s heart grew warm as he gazed upon the hero’s back as he made his way forward. He seemed so confident--so  _ unafraid _ of the issues to come and the enemies to be faced. And regardless of whether it was simply an act or the absolute truth, the prince was already feeling inspired and confident himself.

A wide smile lit up Ralsei’s shadowy face as he made his way after his new companion, happy and eager to follow in his footsteps, “Kris, I knew you were a hero the moment I saw you…! Let’s do our best out there!”

With a hum of agreement, Kris was already at the door way, peeking out to the land beyond before stepping forward and entering the rest of the Dark World. Close behind, Ralsei had followed suit, but lingered a moment to take one last look at his empty home. In the far distance along the long road, curved buildings stood tall, vacant and forever bare. The original Fountain of Darkness rose from the center of the guarding town, the castle not even visible for where he stood at the wall.

He was going to be bidding his home farewell for a few days… but it would still be here when their journey was over.

With a determined smile, the now confident dark prince stepped out into the world with his new friend, turning to close the Great Door behind them with a quaking thud.

__________

The forest was just as Ralsei remembered seeing it last. Red leaved trees with curved dark trunks, violet dirt and purple grass that swayed and rippled on the breeze, strange birds with mysterious chirping songs that echoed across the fields. The feeling of entering the unknown on a grand adventure was thrumming strong within him once more, but this time he didn’t feel as nervous and alone.

Kris led the way, guided by his curiosity as they explored the fields together. Following the forest paths and taking in the sights of the foreign land around him, the human was easily amazed by the new world he had entered. Every now and again he would murmur something about the weird colors of the forest or how strange it was to see a daytime sky that was sunless. His wonder was infectious, and Ralsei found his heart racing with joy every time Kris would ask about the world and give him an opportunity to spread his knowledge.

However, it wasn’t very long into their journey that they had encountered their first enemy; a Rudinn soldier patrolling the area. Upon spotting them, the snake-like man immediately sprang into action, blade bared as he prepared for battle and Ralsei found himself frozen.

_ Of course their first encounter would be linked to foul memories. _

While Ralsei hesitated, Kris stepped forward, unaffected as he drew his own sword out of thin air. His red eyes held a fearless look as he glared down his opponent, and Ralsei felt his heart pound at the sight as he held his blade before himself, ready for battle. He had only just figured out combat minutes ago and he was already so bravely prepared to face a trained soldier. It was absolutely admirable, while Ralsei stood nearly petrified at the idea of fighting.

_ “Watch it!” _ Kris had shouted, grabbing Ralsei from his thoughts as he jumped in front of him, his rose-colored blade becoming a sturdy shield in a bright flash of light as he blocked a dagger thrown Ralsei’s way. The dark prince stumbled back with a gasp as he came back to his senses.

Right. Now wasn’t the time for getting distracted and lost in his morbid thoughts. They had a fight to survive!

Together, the duo dodged as the soldier engaged them in combat, tossing blade after blade as they defended themselves and searched for a solution out of the battle. It had taken a few cuts and bruises, but with enough convincing, Kris had been able to distract the soldier long enough for the two of them to escape the battle safely.

It had been so much easier than Ralsei had feared it to be, and he was quickly growing to appreciate his human companion’s quick wit and tenacity. He knew now that he had nothing to fear. Together, the two of them traveled the fields farther than Ralsei had ever seen. Having an ally to brave the unknown with definitely made for easier travels and he greatly appreciated the company.

“Ho ho ho!” The familiar laugh of Lancer caught their attention as they rounded the forest pathway, “Well, if it isn’t my  _ two favorite people! _ ”

The Spade Prince was leaned against one of his many unnecessary sign posts, arm draped on the sign itself as he posed his other hand on his hip and crossed his legs. Perhaps he thought this pose made him look cool and condescending, but it simply looked awkward and a little dorky. Kris and Ralsei exchanged a look, unsure of what to make of their self-proclaimed rival simply lounging out in the open, but they approached him no less. 

“Lancer!” Ralsei called in a demanding tone as they approached their adversary, “Where’s Susie?”

“Susie? You mean  _ the purple girl? _ ” A wicked grin tugged at Lancer’s dog-like mouth as he stood tall, arms crossed over his chest, “Heh! Fools! You’re too late to stop me now! It was so simple--”

“Did she do  _ that _ to you?” Kris deadpanned, pointing out the younger boy’s scrapes and disheveled scruffs of his fur along his now revealed left leg, pink cuts visible through the fuzziness of his white body.

Realizing the mistake in his dramatic movement, Lancer’s face grew red with embarrassment and he cleared his throat, quickly leaned back onto the sign post, legs crossed once more to hide his scraped up leg, “Yeah, uh, she beat me up. So I ran away.”

“ _ Figures _ ,” Kris snorted to himself before proceeding to glance about their surroundings for anything of interest before they headed onward. As he scoped the area, Ralsei gave Lancer a look of mild pity as he approached the boy. His hand glowed green with healing magic as he knelt before their enemy, who reluctantly offered his leg to be healed up.

“That’s a bit anticlimactic. Which way did you see her last?”

“Down that way,” the blue prince jerked his thumb over his shoulder down the pathway, “Down to the right. You can’t miss her; she’s kinda just beating everything up that gets in her way, I guess!”

“ _ Oh, dear, _ ” Ralsei gave a deep sigh as he finished up sealing Lancer’s wounds. He stood back up and patted down his cloak, turning to face Kris with concerned white eyes, “Kris, perhaps we should hurry to find her--”

“Wait,” the human held up a gloved hand, before making his way for a nearby tree. It was different from the rest of the forest; its trunk thicker and more violet in shade and its translucent reddish purple leaves rustling lightly on the breeze. Hanging from dark branches clung big star-like fruits, thick and glowing in soft red pulses of light. Kris was easily enticed. 

“What are these things?” He asked.

“Those?” Ralsei perked up as he followed after him, “Those are Dark Candy fruits. They have very good healing qualities! They might be good to have in our inventory!”

Reaching up to grab the two lowest star fruits in his hands, Kris plucked them down in a quick tug, observing the their fluorescent red glow as the light in them dimmed out to its natural dark violet color. He rose one to his nose, taking in the sweet, marshmallowy scent before he turned to toss the other candy to Ralsei. The mage stumbled to catch it in his paws, uttering a “thanks” before tucking it away into his bag.

“There’s a ton more higher up,” Kris hummed with thought, “Wait here. Gonna get ‘em.”

“Get them? But how? You can’t reach--” Before Ralsei could even finish his question, the human had stepped back from the tree, gaining a running start before kicking off the trunk to grab for the lowest sturdy branch. Ralsei watched in surprise as the boy hoisted himself upward, climbing up into the tree just to gather the fruit from the higher branches. Lancer joined at his side to watch as well, just as impressed as his fellow prince as they watch him deftly ascend the candy tree.

“O-Oh-- Alright!” Ralsei called up as the human disappeared into the branches, “Please be careful! Don’t hurt yourself!”

“Man, your new friends sure are weird and brave. So, you’re really siding with the Lightners now, huh?”

Ralsei froze at Lancer’s abrupt question. Giving the smaller boy a side glance, he could see in Lancer’s face that he was expecting a reply. His clueless head tilt and blue tongue peeking out of his mouth made him seem silly and unaware, but he was clearly implying what Ralsei feared most.

Pointing his gaze back to the tree and away from Lancer, Ralsei attempted to keep his tone even as he thought over his reply, “It’s always been my job to assist and guide the Lightners. It’s my prophesied duty as their Prince of Darkness.”

“Really?” Lancer pressed on, “So, your duty is to literally  _ work against your dad and help the enemies? _ Doesn’t that make you, like, a  **_traitor_ ** or something?”

Ice ran through Ralsei’s blood. His body grew stiff and his breath caught in his throat. He was afraid to move, to speak--to  _ breathe _ . He didn’t trust that anything he would do in the moment would help keep his guise strong and his act in place.

_ How? _ How could he possibly remember someone he met once for such a short amount of time? An entire year had passed and yet he still could recognize him? Had Ralsei really underestimated him so foolishly?

“...I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ralsei lied and he absolutely hated it. Friend or foe, it felt so terrible and wrong to lie to an old friend like Lancer, but he wasn’t left with much of a choice.

“Sure you do,” the blue prince approached Ralsei closer, tilting his head in an attempt to meet his eyes again, “Do you really not remember? You came to the castle that one time with the tall scary guy. You were kinda shorter though I think… And you finally took off your hood!”

Ralsei’s palms were sweating and it was becoming impossible for him to stand still. He nervously flexed his fingers as he kept his gaze on the tree branches above. They couldn’t even see Kris anymore, just the rustling of leaves and shifting of branches where he might be, but Ralsei refused to look anywhere else. He couldn’t meet Lancer’s eyes. He was sure he would crumble.

_ “...You must be thinking of someone else.” _

Lancer was now standing in front of him, looking up directly into his face. He wasn’t that much smaller than Ralsei, only just below eye-level, so his full attention on his face easily made him squirm with discomfort. Though he absolutely didn’t want to, he couldn’t stop himself from pointing his gaze to the shorter prince’s face.

The way he was staring at him was so hard and focused and it made Ralsei’s heart pound in his ears. His intense gaze was so clear, even when hidden behind the shadows of his hood, and he held a hand to his chin, rubbing it in thought as he continued to observe Ralsei uncomfortably closely. He couldn’t figure out how to get out of this situation and he was beginning to feel panicked.

Suddenly, Lancer’s expression lit up. He snapped his fingers in realization, the sound causing Ralsei to flinch as he pointed his finger in his face.

“Oooh! I get it! Yeah, I totally get it now!”

_ Get it? Get  _ **_what_ ** _? _ What was Lancer possibly understanding? Had Ralsei been found out? Did he realize that he wasn’t being honest with the Heroes? That he was joining them through lies and falsehoods to protect the future that his Teacher warned to be in danger? Surely, he hadn’t--

“You’re rebelling against your dad, aren’tcha?!”

... _ What? _

Stunned silent, Ralsei continued to stare at Lancer, confusion taking his expression entirely as he squinted at him through his glasses. Lancer’s grin was so…  _ excited _ at this false realization. The tense and serious atmosphere seemed to melt in an instant as he stepped back, hands on his hips.

“Man, you sure are brave! I don’t think I’d  _ ever _ have it in me to stand up against  _ my  _ dad like that!” Lancer laughed as he clapped a hand over Ralsei’s shoulder, his body still tense under the attention, “And your dad is like  _ waaaay scarier! _ How do you even do it?”

More exasperated than nervous now, Ralsei averted his gaze from the Spade Prince once more to stare at the swaying violet grass at their feet. What was he possibly supposed to say? At first he had simply been hiding the truth in favor of his mission, but now he was entirely unsure of what to make of this situation.

“Whatever it is you’re up to, I guess I won’t judge,” Lancer shrugged nonchalantly, “It must be real fun to hang out with the Lightners, getting to be a hero and fight the bad guys. As a  _ certified bad guy _ myself, I can’t get away with that stuff, but I think it’ll be fun fighting you guys!”

The Spade Prince made his way back to his sign post, leaving the ever befuddled Ralsei’s side to look it over and making sure it was sturdy and set properly in the ground, “Well, anyway, I should probably get going! Gotta get ready to  _ thrash you clowns _ and stuff! I can’t wait to be rivals with you! This is gonna be a blast! Oh, and by the way...”

Dramatically, Lancer twirled on his heel and gave Ralsei his best finger gun pose he could as he pointed to the mage prince. Perhaps it was an attempt to mimic what Kris had done before, but the gesture was even more ridiculous coming from him, “I almost forgot to say! You look a lot cuter without your creepy hood! I spent a  **_lot_ ** of time coming up with names for you for when we meet again, but now that I know your name, I guess I can use ‘em all as nicknames for you! Smell ya later,  _ cupcake!! _ ”

With that, Lancer hopped onto his bike that was hidden behind a nearby tree, paddling away as he chortled his infamous  _ “ho ho ho”s _ and disappeared down the forest trail. As he left, Ralsei felt himself able to breathe again, exhaling a deep sigh of relief as he quietly clutched a hand to his chest.

What a strange experience. Was Lancer really that easy to satisfy?  _ Rebelling against his Teacher… _ What a silly thought. He would never do such a thing; in fact, he was doing quite the opposite by being where he was now.

Ralsei bit his lip now as his mind was invaded with thoughts of concern. Was what he was doing really considered  _ traitorous _ to the Dark World? He hadn’t even thought of such a thing, and now that he was, he couldn’t deny just how horribly correct it sounded. Most of the Card Kingdom was fighting to  _ keep _ their new Fountain of Darkness. But Ralsei knew well that having two Fountains was sure to manipulate the world in a very dangerous way. His Teacher had warned him of this, so what he was doing  _ had _ to be right, didn’t it?

Maybe what he was doing was  **_treason_ ** … but he was doing it for the greater good, wasn’t he?

_ “Yo.” _

Ralsei let out a rather undignified squeak of fear as a voice suddenly spoke at his side. He turned wide eyed to see that Kris had returned, several Dark Candies in his arms and leaves and twigs littering his clothing and hair. Despite his disheveled and messy appearance, his expression remained neutral as he handed a couple to Ralsei.

“Sorry that took a minute,” he said, tone as easy as ever, “My scarf got caught on a branch. Managed to get six though, so I think that’s enough for all of us when we find Susie again.”

Blinking at the bunch of fruit Kris had handed to him, Ralsei reached out to collect them all, “Goodness, Kris, that was generous of you! I’m sure she’ll really appreciate the gesture!”

“Yeah, maybe,” Kris mumbled as he brushed away the leaves tangled in his thick dark hair, shaking his head to ruffle them out as he made his way down the path once more, “Anyway, let’s keep going. I’m sure she must’ve injured too many people by this point.”

Ralsei gave a curt nod before following in step with his human friend, tucking the candies in his arms into his bag. Despite being pleased to be moving again, he couldn’t help but feel a little worried about the exchange he had just had with Lancer. Even with Kris being out of earshot of the conversation, he worried that he may have to be a little more secretive around his Lightner companions.

Keeping secrets felt very  _ difficult  _ to say the least and he didn’t really like to lie, but he had to be prepared for any possible mishaps that occurred during their plan. It was his job to make sure the Lightners knew the importance of peace and made it to the Dark Fountain safely.

His Teacher was counting on him, and he would do  _ anything necessary _ to fulfill his duty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems Lancer isn't as clueless as we thought... Whoda thunk! THE PLOT HAS BECOME A BIT THICKER!
> 
> Writing that hug scene was honestly a blast lol Kris and Ralsei will be having many cute and awkward encounters in the future, so look forward to that!
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading this chapter! You know how it goes: Comments aren't necessary but absolutely appreciated! <3


	11. The Trio Reunites

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heroes meet again, but things seem more complicated than initially expected. A peculiar shop is found in the middle of the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was pretty fun to write. It's a bit dialogue heavy, but for the sake of characterization!
> 
> Warning: _Lots of awkward tension between our heroes._ Brace yourselves lol
> 
> Quick reminder that I have a [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/socordiasomnia)! If you'd like to keep up with my projects and support, feel free to become a patron! I give shoutouts to everyone who becomes a paying patron! I also have a [Ko-fi Tip Jar](https://ko-fi.com/socordiasomnia) if that's more to your preference! Thank you in advanced if you feel so inclined!
> 
> Now, without further ado, please enjoy this chapter! <3

Wandering through endless fields and fighting soldiers was beginning to be second nature for Kris and Ralsei as they made their way along the dark forest trail. They had passed many people along the way who had been startled and terrorized by a “purple beast” that was destroying everything in its way, and the duo easily concluded that it was their missing third companion that was causing a ruckus around the forest. They followed her trail of destruction, passing several battered monsters and wounded soldiers that Ralsei had spared a moment to heal if necessary, gaining the appreciation of their enemies as they continued on their way to find Susie and put a stop to her rampage.

Along the way as they traveled and solved various time-based trap puzzles, Lancer had interrupted their journey many times, sending out troops after troops to try and defeat them, all of which ending in vain as Kris easily swayed them with generosity. Convincing soldiers not to fight or tiring them out with lectures, complimenting cleric maidens and winning over their affection, it seemed as though Kris had a natural talent for getting out of sore situations and did so with ease.

But it was strange. He was never the kind of person to openly engage conversation or even seem like the kindest and most friendly person. Where he came from, people avoided him if possible and whispered behind his back, looking to him like some kind of strange outsider that happened to be a resident of their hometown. But here in the Dark World, he was filled with a confidence he had never felt before; something he couldn’t even dream of having, and yet it all came to him so naturally.

He wondered to himself if this was how it felt to be his older brother, Asriel. Kind and friendly and easily liked by all without much effort. Perhaps this is what he had been missing out on all of these years.

Wandering along a winding trail that Lancer had titled  _ “THE MAZE OF DEATH” _ on one of his many forest signs, Kris and Ralsei had found themselves at a dead end in a road leading directly to a little chest. It sat alone, just waiting to be opened, and Kris had played enough RPG games to know how convenient this situation was. However, upon opening the chest, all he had found inside was a long white ribbon that didn’t even fill up a quarter of the box.

“Oh! It looks like we’ve found some armor!” Ralsei chimed as Kris lifted it out of the chest, “It might not look that protective, but it has lots of magical defense qualities! Try it on, Kris! It should boost the strength of your defense!”

Kris stared at the white ribbon in his hands, unsure of how to wear such an item in the first place. It was very  _ cute _ to say the least, but he wasn’t quite sure that he needed such a thing. He was faring quite well without the help of extra items to boost his strength. But he decided he wouldn’t waste the opportunity to hold onto something useful.

Turning to Ralsei, he motioned a hand for the smaller boy to come closer, and the prince blinked as he came forward as commanded. Muttering for him to  _ “hold still” _ , Kris reached out the white ribbon to wrap it around Ralsei’s hat, tying it securely into a neat bow before he stepped away to admire his handiwork.

Just as Kris expected, the ribbon was absolutely adorable. Ralsei looked back up as Kris stepped away, his cheeks flushed a soft pink as his white eyes gazed upon the human sheepishly. He had to admit, he wasn’t expecting to be given the armor in the slightest. 

“O-Oh— Thank you, Kris,” he flustered, adjusting his scarf over his nose timidly as he glanced down at his boots, “I didn’t think—Uh—… H-How do I look? Is it pretty...?”

Kris couldn’t hold back the soft smile that tugged at his lips, his cheeks flushing blue as he quickly coughed into a fist, turning to continue down the trail to calm the heat in his face, “Y-Yeah. Really pretty. Let’s keep going. I think we’re close to where Susie is.”

__________

_ “ _ **_UGH!!_ ** _ Open already, you stupid door!!” _

The familiar shouts of Susie and a harsh crack of stone echoed through the woods as Kris and Ralsei arrived at a tall hedge wall of blue leaves. They had passed yet another clock puzzle, its solution not quite clear yet as they hadn’t seen any spikes blocking their path or traps to deactivate. However, upon reaching the trails end, they finally discovered just what the puzzle was set for.

Their axe-wielding companion was standing at a tall stone door blocking the pathway through the hedge wall, huffing and puffing with exhaustion as she gripped her right fist with a wince. Judging by the loud sound the duo heard on their way to the door and the giant cracked dent that was now placed into its side, it didn’t take too much thought to acknowledge Susie’s foolish attempt to break the stone door with her fist.

She turned as she heard Kris and Ralsei’s approaching footsteps, shooting a glare over her shoulder that only narrowed when she saw who had come to meet her, “Oh, great. It’s  **_you_ ** _ guys. _ ”

“Susie! Thank goodness!” Ralsei called as he hurried his way over to her, “We were worried about you! You aren’t hurt, are you? And, um… how did you get passed the spikes before without any help?”

He had reached out to heal her possibly injured hand and any other cuts or bruises she had received on her way here, but Susie rejected the offer, moving her sore hand out of reach stubbornly and approaching the door again, “Walked through ‘em. But this door…  _ sucks _ .”

Ralsei pouted at her cold reaction, shaking the healing magic out of his paw before offering a friendly smile, “Well, don’t worry, Susie! Once we solve the puzzle back down the path, this door should open up for us to continue!”

“Oh, yeah?” Susie smirked, turning to lean her back against the doorframe leisurely and stuffing her hands into her pockets, “Cool. Have fun or whatever. Lemme know when you’re done.”

Blinking, Ralsei and Kris exchanged a look at her dismissive response. Expecting no less, Kris let out a sigh as he crossed his arms over his chest, his expression stern as he replied carefully, “We actually need  _ you _ to help finish the puzzle.”

“Sometimes, proceeding will take all three of us working together as a team,” Ralsei quickly added, “Not to mention that Kris, as the human in our party, is the only one capable of sealing the Dark Fountain, so I’m afraid you’re going to need us to get home in the first place, Susie…”

The lizard girl’s cheeky expression soured into a scowl, her sharp yellow gaze flicking between the two boys as they waited expectantly for her decision. Fangs bared in a quirked grimace, Susie let out a groan as she rolled her eyes.

“So, you’re saying I  _ have _ to stick with you guys?”

“Pretty much,” Kris deadpanned.

With a click of her tongue, Susie pushed her back off the stone door to join them, shoving past Kris on her way with a harsh brush of her shoulder and making her way toward where the puzzle was last.  _ “Let’s just get this over with,” _ she grumbled as she stormed away, leaving the other two to follow her harsh footsteps.

Kris’ frown remained as he reluctantly followed after her, but Ralsei trailed along with a wide smile, happy to have the team all together once more. The more the Heroes were together as a group, the better their journey would be.

“ _ Yahoo! _ Susie’s back on the party! Let’s do our best!”

__________

Together, the trio handled the time puzzle quickly and easily, now able to activate all buttons at once with the power of three and just as they did, they could hear the stone door open at the end of the path. Ralsei cheered praise, clapping his paws together as they made their way back down the trail to the entrance in the tall hedge wall.

On the way, however, a little round creature was now standing the middle of the path. It resembled a strange red checker piece, a dog-like face on the side facing them as it bopped around on its little black legs. It seemed harmless, but the moment it saw the heroes approaching, the little checker turned and immediately started dancing their way, kicking its little feet in a silly, but threatening manner.

An idea struck as the little creature approached and Ralsei perked up, turning to tap Kris and whisper to him discreetly, “Oh, gosh— I almost forgot! Susie missed the tutorial from before! We should teach her how to ACT before she goes on another rampage.”

Nodding in agreement, Kris decided to step forward and engage the little checker, gesturing for Ralsei and Susie to join him in battle. The three got into their battle ready stances, Kris’ blade at the ready to defend and Susie’s axe drawn to attack. Ralsei watched her carefully, trusting that Kris could keep her in line as he patiently waited for orders.

As the silly little monster continued to dance around and kick its feet, Kris snapped a point to the checker to catch the party’s attention, “Susie, it seems pretty weak. Maybe you can flatter it so that it can get out of our way.”

Silence fell between the party, the only sound around them being the tapping of the checker’s feet as he continued to threaten and dance at them. Kris and Ralsei turned their heads to look Susie’s way, noticing the absolutely baffled look on her face.

“Why the  _ hell  _ would I do that?” Susie shot a glare at Kris, “It’s clearly hostile and came to fight us first? We should bash it’s head in before it attacks!”

“But Susie, it looks so harmless,” Ralsei assured, gesturing a hand to the dancing little checker, “It’s actually kind of adorable. Can’t you think of  _ anything _ nice to say? If you’re kind to him, we might get out of this fight without actually  _ having _ to fight!”

Frowning deeply, the lizard huffed through her nose. With a sigh, she smirked as she approached the little round beast, her axe lowered and the rest of the team watched her approach warily, “Okay, okay. I’ve got something.”

She loomed over the tiny checker, who looked up to her with beady, clueless eyes as it continued to tap his feet and wait for whatever she planned to do. Susie gave the creature her best friendly smile and she grinned down upon it.

“Hey, little buddy. Y’know… I really like the  **_axe_ ** _ in your face. _ ”

Before anyone could react or stop her, Susie suddenly twirled her axe in her hands before swinging it harshly, whacking the little checker with the blunt end of the weapon like a baseball and sending the tiny creature flying into the air with squeak of distress and it disappeared beyond the trees. Kris and Ralsei watched in shock, jaws slack with disbelief as Susie made her axe disappear once more, proudly patting the dirt off her palms.

_ “Where’d ya get it?!” _ She finished her cruel joke, calling after the checker that was now long gone before she fell into a fit of laughter. The boys were at a loss for words.

Nervously, Ralsei fidgeted as he tried to find his words. He should say something, shouldn’t he? He wasn’t sure of what, but he knew that he had a responsibility to keep Susie in line. But just as he had begun to step forward, Kris seemed to have already beat him to the punch.

_ “What the hell is your  _ **_problem_ ** _?” _

His tone was unlike what Ralsei had grown used to, the look on his face far different than he had expected. Kris appeared to be genuinely fed up with the situation, his red eyes glaring hot with hostility and his gloved hands clenched at his sides. The prince hadn’t expected their calm leader to have a temper of any kind, but it was clear from his tone of voice that there was more to this anger than Ralsei could possibly understand.

Susie stopped short in her guffaw as his harsh tone caught her attention, and she turn to give him a stunned glare. It was clear from the look in her face that this was new to her, too, but her surprise subsided quickly with anger of her own as she turned to face him, “What the hell is  _ my _ problem? What’s  **_yours_ ** _? _ You’re the weirdo wanting to befriend people out to kill us!”

“No one asked you to  _ befriend _ anyone,” Kris challenged back, firm in his stance and seemingly unafraid to back out of his outburst, “You were asked to  _ be a little nicer _ . You act like that’s the hardest thing to do when we literally could’ve just walked away without attacking someone.”

“And since when have  **_you_ ** had the balls to act so important?” Susie shouted back, storming to loom over the boy, and Ralsei was suddenly greatly fearing that their fight would become physical, “You think just because you’re  _ ‘Mister Special Guy’ _ all of a sudden that you can just  _ boss me around? _ I don’t need to answer to  _ weird freaks _ like you or anyone else!”

“G-Guys, please--” Ralsei tried to intervene, but was interrupted as Susie seemed to strike another nerve.

“Why can’t you just accept that not everything is about you?” Kris’ tone raised as well, something Ralsei never assumed him to be capable of, “Would it really kill you to actually  _ care about someone  _ **_other_ ** _ than yourself for once?!” _

“Oh, that’s  _ rich _ coming from you!” Susie growled, her rows of sharp teeth bared, “You think  _ you _ have the right to tell  _ me  _ what to do?! How to be a  _ ‘better’ _ person? To be  _ ‘less selfish’? _ Maybe that’s easy for a privileged little shit like you to say, but some of us  **_actually have to_ ** _ \-- _ ”

_ “YOU GUYS,  _ **_STOP_ ** _!!” _

A heavy silence fell between the trio, Kris and Susie halted in their aggressive back and forth to glare into each other’s eyes with rage. Standing between them was the Prince of Darkness, holding out his hands to stop them from getting any closer as his palms glowed with a soft blue light. Calm was washing over his companions, but it hadn’t stopped the anger coursing through their veins. It wasn’t his strongest calming spell, but it was enough to slow their aggression.

Hands shaking, Ralsei lowered his hands cautiously, glancing between the two Lightners nervously as he carefully thought over what to say next.

“You two… have a lot of tension. I can see this and I understand if you both have trouble getting along. But  _ please _ , regardless of whatever hard feelings you two have for each other, we’re all here together for a reason. We are the  _ Heroes of the Legend _ ; the bringers of peace, the guardians of the worlds. Can’t you both put your differences aside? At least until we reach the Dark Fountain, seal it away, and get you both back home?”

The human boy and the lizard girl hadn’t stopped their hard glares, the contempt in their eyes never fading once as Ralsei anxiously waited for some kind of reply;  _ anything _ to stop the horrible tension in the air. After several beats of thick silence, Susie clicked her tongue, turning to continue down the forest trail and heading for the opened stone gateway that had nearly been long forgotten.

“ **_Whatever_ ** . Let’s just get out of here.”

Ralsei fidgeted with his cloak in his paws, sparing a sheepish glance to Kris. His gaze was still just as heated, but he lowered his head, exhaling a slow sigh as he finally collected himself. A wave of embarrassment washed over him and he was unable to meet Ralsei’s eyes.

“...Sorry. That was… uh...  _ yeah _ ,” he attempted, but quickly gave up. Continuing down the trail after Susie, he decided it best to not try to explain himself and headed for the stone gate. Ralsei lingered behind, the heat of the argument still thrumming within his nerves, but slowly beginning to die down. He closed his eyes and took a slow breath before he made his way after the Lightners.

His Teacher had warned that this journey wouldn’t be an easy one. He never once said that things would be simple and that the Lightners would easily cooperate. Ralsei knew he had to be ready for the worst and had prepared himself for any conflicts they may face along the way.

However, a dispute of this level was something he had never expected to face. Things were beginning to look  _ very _ difficult for him and his new friends.

__________

Their journey through the forest fields had been awkwardly silent since the Lightners’ heated dispute, Susie walking ahead as Kris and Ralsei trailed behind her. Kris’ head remained lowered as they walked along, seemingly too flustered with himself to even initiate conversation from here onward. Ralsei understood why the two of them would remain so distant and quiet, but it didn’t make the situation any less tense or uncomfortable for him. He did his best to follow along and be patient with them.

However, their restless walk through the forest thankfully hadn’t lasted too long as they found themselves at a tall tent along the trail. The tarps of the tent walls were stitched together loosely, it’s old worn appearance haphazard and ominous. Patched above the eerily dark entrance were four simple letters spelling “SHOP” in black and it was impossible to see into the shadows of the entrance to view whatever lied within.

As Kris and Susie inspected the strange store’s appearance with suspicion, Ralsei grinned before approaching the entrance, happy to have something to talk about finally after the several minutes of tension between the party, “Oh! A shop! How convenient! And we were just running low on items, too. Lady Luck sure seems to be smiling upon us, huh?”

“It looks… kinda  _ gross _ ,” Susie mumbled, “What kind of store is this supposed to be anyway? Some kind of weird patch shop?”

“Who could know! We should check it out and see what they have in stock,” Ralsei paused in his eager approach to the tent entrance, quickly turning to look to Kris for approval, “Er— If that’s alright? Would you like to check inside, Kris?”

The human’s attention shifted from the tent structure to acknowledge Ralsei, his thoughts elsewhere before having heard his name. Blinking as the question registered to him, he gave a nod of affirmation before making his way for the entrance, Ralsei following suit and Susie was already headed inside.

He wasn’t sure why, but something about this tent gave him an ominous feeling of deja vu. He couldn’t shake how much it reminded him of the storage closet back at school, but tried not to think about it too much as he carefully brushed the tarp entrance out of the way to step inside the odd shop. 

As if it were some kind of strange funhouse, the inside of the shop was much larger than it appeared on the outside. Within lied a long black counter stretched along the length of the room’s walls, armor and weapons lining the walls beyond it and rested beside shelves of various potions and strange knickknacks.

What caught the Heroes attention most of all was the strange body rested behind the counter. A large, misshapen fluffy shape leaned against the wooden surface, it’s body resembling something like a rag doll of sorts. It was stitched together with thick thread, its head lopsided and its face pinned together messily like an unfinished plush. Fluffy cat-like ears sat atop its head and a large button eye was sewn into the right side of its face, the other eye missing a button and leaving visible his deep dark empty socket.

Simply put, this strange doll was a bit  _ creepy _ . The group stared at it with unsettled grimaces that quickly changed to surprise when it suddenly began to move.

_ “Hee hee…” _ Its stitched up smile twitched strangely, a low man’s voice snickering out with a muffled sound,  _ “Welcome travelers. What can I do for you?” _

Frozen, the trio exchanged silent unnerved glances, but Kris quickly gathered himself, deciding that approaching the counter would be less rude than standing about confused, “We’re— _ uh _ —here to shop? You wouldn’t happen to have food and healing items, would you?”

_ “But of course,” _ the stuffed cat continued, his voice reminding Kris of a worn voice box in an old broken toy,  _ “I’ve got plenty. Feel free to point out whatever strikes your fancy.” _

Susie and Ralsei joined Kris at the counter, looking around at all of the available wares on the shelves and listed on a large sign on the back wall. With all of the battles they had gone through and won, they could easily afford what they needed and a little more, so the trio began their hunt for useful items.

While they stocked up on necessities and Susie pestered Kris to buy himself the black and orange blade on the wall to actually have a  _ “useful weapon” _ , Ralsei had decided to strike up a friendly conversation with the ragdoll man at the counter.

“I haven’t seen many people like you before,” he began, unsure if that was a polite thing to say, but continued despite how flustered he had become at his own words, “Who are you, sir?”

_ “The name’s Seam,” _ the cat man replied,  _ “S-E-A-M. Pronounced  _ **_Shawm_ ** _. And this is my little…  _ **_Seap_ ** _.” _

He let out a low rumble of a laugh at his own joke, one that could roll a chill down anyone’s spine. Blinking as he got the joke himself, Ralsei let out a soft tittered laugh of his own. The doll man Seam might be a little creepy, but he seemed to have a good sense of humor.

“Oh, gee… that was  _ clever _ , sir,” Ralsei chuckled bashfully.

_ “Aye, lad,” _ Seam let out a soft hum, his button eye rotating like clockwork as he turned his head to face the other teens bickering in the shop corner,  _ “And I gotta say… I haven’t seen many folks like  _ **_you_ ** _ lot either. Not in a very, very long time.” _

This statement caught Kris and Susie’s attention, and the duo halted in their squabble to turn and face the button-eyed man inquisitively. Oh, right. They kind of weren’t from around here and they weren’t quite sure if this was meant to be a secret or not. But judging by all of the abrupt attacks they had been receiving on sight, they supposed that being Lightners was a secret to no one at this point.

“...Yeah, we’re not from around here,” Susie glowered at Seam, already aiming to intimidate and Kris shot her a look of disapproval, “Got a problem, old man?”

_ “Hardly,” _ the doll man huffed, clearly unfazed by the girl’s threat,  _ “Just isn’t very often that we see Lightners  _ **_alive_ ** _ this deep into the wood.” _

“That’s because we’re the legendary heroes,” Ralsei explained, his smile proud as he leaned on his elbows at the counter, “We’re on a mission to save the worlds of Light and Dark from destruction! We can’t exactly  _ afford _ to be defeated, after all.”

Seam let out another hoarse rumble of a laugh at Ralsei’s confidence, the prince shrinking back with embarrassment as the man lolled his head to the side to look upon Kris and Susie more clearly,  _ “So… You are the ‘ _ **_heroes_ ** _ ’ who are going to seal away our Dark Fountain, eh? Good luck, then. Makes no difference to an old man like me.” _

He slumped back into the counter, a distant and solemn look in his empty eye socket as he stared down at the black wood of the surface, a slow sigh ruffling through the cotton in his throat,  _ “Neither Light nor Dark hold a future for a Darkner in my condition…” _

The trio looked to Seam with a sense of pity. The old man seemed so  _ worn _ and  _ exhausted _ , like he had seen more than any of them could even dream of knowing. But even so, despite his tired face, he seemed genuinely content with the life he was living. The life of a  _ lonely old shopkeeper _ . He seemed to hold many mysteries the three couldn’t possibly understand.

Turning away to busy herself with the wares and avoid looking as though she cared for too long, Susie snatched up a small menu on the counter, glancing it over before tapping Kris’ shoulder for his attention. He turned to see what she was pointing to, nodding in agreement before taking it into his hands. 

“Uh… If you don’t mind, we’d like to order something to eat.”

__________

Cooked up on a grill the three of them hadn’t even noticed in a corner behind the counter were three Dark Burgers, and the Heroes enjoyed their first meal in hours together on stringy, soft cushions set upon the tent floor. They hadn’t realized just how long they had spent in the Dark World, as time was not quite clear in a world that seemed to be trapped in a constant night. Ralsei had let Kris and Susie know that it was indeed late in the evening and that they had been wandering since the afternoon. It was clear that they needed to rest soon.

_ “You all kept me pretty entertained,” _ Seam had said as they enjoyed their dinner,  _ “S’not very often that people visit this old place now that the  _ **_Tyrant King_ ** _ is in power. I will allow you all to rest here for the evening if you don’t mind a little fee.” _

“That would be great, thanks,” Kris had agreed to the offer gratefully, but Ralsei perked up at what the shopkeeper had mentioned.

“ _ Tyrant King… _ Is that why the kingdom is so tense at the moment, Mister Seam?” The prince inquired curiously.

_ “It is  _ **_one_ ** _ of the reasons, anyway,” _ Seam gave a slow chuckle,  _ “Historically, this land was ruled by Four Kings, from Card Castle to the East. But recently… a  _ **_strange knight_ ** _ appeared. And three of the kings were locked away.” _

Ralsei paused mid-bite of his Dark Burger, the words he had heard sinking in with a heavy feeling.  **_A strange knight?_ ** Surely, he couldn’t mean who he thought, could he? There was only one who people referred to with such a title, but he certainly wouldn’t lock away kings, would he? Not without reason; not without  _ purpose _ .

_ “The remaining king put himself and his strange son into power,” _ the cat man continued,  _ “Honestly, this land hasn’t seen  _ **_this_ ** _ much chaos since…” _

His muffly voice trailed out and grew silent, the three teens looking to him expectantly as they waited for whatever was to come next. What they received instead was a wheezy chuckle, the merchant leaning back in his seat as he sneered to the youths with a wide lopsided grin.

_ “Well… You three don’t need to know about  _ **_that_ ** _.” _

“ _ Psh… _ Nice cliffhanger, old man,” Susie groaned through the food in her mouth, swallowing it down before stuffing the rest of the burger in her jaws.

“We’ll take your word for it,” Kris sighed.

Ralsei swallowed his food thickly, suddenly overcome with a feeling of unease. He was still a bit preoccupied with what the man had mentioned before; about the  _ strange knight _ wreaking havoc among the people and putting a tyrant into control. He wasn’t sure of why his Teacher would ever do such a thing, considering their goal.

They were trying to  _ change the world for the better _ and  _ save it from a future of suffering _ . Wouldn’t a  _ tyrant  _ ruling over the Kingdom of Cards do quite the opposite?

Ralsei shook his head. No, there had to be a reason. There was always a reason for everything his creator had planned. He would never do something so bold or dangerous without a clear explanation and reason. He just had to trust and believe in his decisions.

_ “You gonna finish that or what?” _

Ralsei blinked as he turned to Susie, the lizard girl leaning forward to stare at the half eaten burger in the prince’s hands. He hesitated, frowning as he realized he hadn’t been eating much of it to begin with. And quite frankly, his racing thoughts had caused him to lose his appetite.

“No, I’m pretty full,” Ralsei smiled kindly as he handed the rest to Susie, who wasted no time in snatching it out of his paws and taking a bite, “You look pretty hungry, after all, and I’d hate to waste it.”

_ “Well now,” _ the shopkeeper sighed behind the counter,  _ “I’m afraid it is getting a little late. I will be resting for the night. You three enjoy your evening, but stay away from my stock.  _ **_I’ll know if anything goes missing._ ** _ ” _

Kris and Ralsei uttered a quick “yessir” as Seam stood from his slouch at the counter, standing up to his full height that was surprisingly towering after his body appearing quite hunched and small behind the wooden stand. The tall ragdoll man slinked his way toward the back of the tent, disappearing behind a flap none of them had noticed before as he retreated for the evening.

It was then that the Heroes decided to rest for the night as well. They weren’t offered proper beds, but were welcome to rest upon the cushion seats they were offered to sit upon for dinner.

“Welp! Dibs on this side of the tent,” Susie stretched her arms over her head before she grabbed two of the cushions, tossing them far to the left side of the room and flopping onto them, “Stay out of my spot and don’t talk too much and we  _ won’t  _ have a problem.”

Rolling his eyes, Kris hadn’t even offered her a reply, adjusting the cushion beneath him to lay back and rest his head upon it, his arms folded behind his head as he stared up at the tent’s loose ceiling. From where he lie, he could see into the sky beyond the gaps in the tarp, the twinkling lights of blue stars visible through the darkness. Funny how they had entirely disappeared until it was seemingly night, but the darkness of the sky never once led him to believe that it was ever daytime to begin with.

As his friend’s settled for the evening, Ralsei had moved his own cushion to a cozy spot of the room to settle down as well. Once comfortable, the prince rifled through his bag, fishing about for something he had yet to visit during the entire trip. Fingers brushing what he wanted, he plucked out a little leather bound notebook and a pencil, clutching it delicately as he placed it into his lap.

He had packed his journal into his bag, one that he usually used for logging his day to day life in the Empty Kingdom, but finally had more exciting things to record inside. He could finally begin an adventure log, something to document his journey with the heroes and gather his thoughts. He got to work immediately, eager to write away the many new things that had happened in the day.

Hearing the quick scratching of lead on parchment, Kris had been dragged out of his distant thoughts to glance Ralsei’s way, watching as the prince wrote diligently away at his journal with a contented smile on his face. He watched silently for a while before deciding to finally speak up.

“What are you working on?”

Blinking, Ralsei tore his attention away from his journal, clutching the item close to his chest, “O-Oh-- This? It’s, um, nothing… I just like to keep notes of what I do in the day. Sorry, was I making too much noise?”

“Nah, not really,” Kris reassured as he rolled over to face the fluffy mage, resting his head in his palm, “So, it’s like… a diary?”

Cheeks flushing, Ralsei lowered his head to hide behind his notebook, “Um-- Something like that… yeah.”

“Don’t be embarrassed. I’m not judging,” the human insisted, “Today was a bit of a day… You must have a lot to write in there. I can’t imagine being alone in the middle of nowhere left you much to talk about anyway.”

A timid smile tugged at Ralsei’s lips as he placed the notebook back into his lap, exhaling a soft sigh as he slouched down into the cushions behind him, “Yes, actually… I’ve never had so much to write before. I don’t think I’ve ever filled more than a single page a day, and here I am, on my third.”

Kris gave a chuckle at that, leaning back to stare up at the ceiling once more. He watched as the stars shined down through the gaps and he replied, “My brother used to do the same thing. He had a whole box of old journals he was keeping over the years and he used to hate when I would snoop around and read them. He kept all of his weirdest secrets in them. It was hard to resist taking a peek.”

“Invading others privacy?” Ralsei quirked a brow the human’s way, a sly smile peeking out behind his soft scarf, “ _ For shame, Kris. _ Don’t you know that diaries are only meant for the person writing in them to read?”

“Maybe, but I did learn a lot about him thanks to stealing glances,” Kris laughed, “He had a lot going on under the surface of that dumb dorky smile. Plus, he was never mad at me for looking after a while. I never told anyone any of his secrets anyway.”

_ Not that I really  _ **_had_ ** _ anyone to tell to begin with, _ Kris thought to himself.

The prince giggled, adjusting his glasses as he continued jotting down notes into the journal in his lap, “Well, then I’ll be sure to keep this thing far away from you. Wouldn’t like anyone snooping into  _ my _ special notes.”

“Who would’ve thought that  _ lonely princes _ would have so many secrets to keep,” Kris sighed dramatically as he closed his eyes.

“And who would have thought that  _ humans  _ could be so very  _ nosy _ ,” Ralsei retaliated playfully.

_ “Oh, my god, ladies, can you  _ **_stop flirting for one second_ ** _?” _ Susie groaned, grabbing one of the cushions beneath her and holding it over her ears, “Some of us are  _ trying to sleep _ , dammit…!”

Cheeks flushed, the two boys shut their mouths instantly, turning to glance at Susie wide eyed before settling back into silence. What a way to  _ ruin the mood _ , but really, they were talking quite a lot, weren’t they? They would have many opportunities to get to know each other better anyway, so perhaps they should just rest while they could. Embarrassed, the boys went back about their business, Ralsei continuing to write in his journal and Kris returning to his absentminded stargazing.

_ “Sorry, Susie.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much tension between our dear heroes, but friendships are blossoming somewhere under the surface!
> 
> This is the first time we've seen Kris actually lose his temper and Susie speak out about her feelings. They're currently in a rough patch, but things will work out in the end! Ralsei will make sure of it!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this chapter!! Again, this was one of my favorites to write, so I hope you enjoyed! You know how it goes: Comments aren't mandatory but absolutely appreciated! <3


	12. The Great Board

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kris is haunted by odd nightmares yet again, and the party makes their way across the Great Board.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _SO SORRY FOR THE INCREDIBLY LONG WAIT!!_
> 
> I'm back! Shocking, isn't it? I kind of ended up on a longer hiatus than intended due to some things that happened in my life (and some things that are _still_ going on in fact) but I'm happy to announce that this fic is back in motion and posting every **Wednesday** again!
> 
> Quick reminder that I do have a [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/socordiasomnia) to support this fic, so if you feel so inclined, please consider supporting me there as a Patron! Patrons get shoutouts on every new chapter update and also get exclusive looks at my work and early access to new chapters and art! And if Patreon isn't exactly your thing, you can also tip me on [Ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/socordiasomnia) if you would rather support that way instead! 
> 
> Thank you for you patience! This chapter is very long to make up for lost time, so please enjoy!
> 
> **Warning** : Death Mention and Heavy Chapter Opening

_ “S-Still… I believe in you! You can do a little better! Even if you don’t think so! I… I promise…” _

_ The words faded out in his ears and his body moved on its own. The remains of the skeleton man’s skull were crumbling to dust, dulling the snow like grey powder and joining the rest of the remains of his boney body. Footsteps crunched into the snow as the human leisurely approached, and once he had reached the decapitated skull, he kicked it harshly with the toe of his boot. The skeleton was no more and his head crumbled into nonexistence. _

_ It was terrible what he had done. That skeleton was only trying to help him; to make him  _ **_less_ ** _ of a horrible person and guide him down a path less cruel. But even so, he wasted no time in taking his life, just like everyone else. _

_ This wasn’t…  _ **_right_ ** _. Why was he doing this? And why did it feel  _ **_okay_ ** _ to him that he had just taken yet another life? Why was he fighting and why was he destroying? And how had he gotten here? His mind was hazy. He couldn’t remember anything and everything around him felt surreal and far away. _

_ The cold of the snow kept him numb. The howl of the wind deafened his hearing. The world was silent and he knew it was his fault.  _ **_Was he even sorry for this?_ **

_ And then, he felt it. The eyes on his back. The seething feeling of hatred and the threat of demise.  _ **_He_ ** _ was watching, and he knew he was. He watched as he struck down that skeleton so cruelly, and he was going to make him suffer the consequences. _

_...But who was  _ **_he?_ **

_ He blinked and he was suddenly no longer in the snowy forest clearing. He was no longer cold, but his body remained numb. The ground under his feet was now solid flooring, his heels clacking on polished golden tiles. The warm light of the setting sun shone down through tall stained glass windows, the glistening beautiful glow lost to his hazy focus as he continued to approach a silhouette that waited on the other side of the hall. _

_ Another skeleton, shorter than the one he had murdered before. His head sat lowered, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He looked thoughtful;  _ **_contemplative_ ** _ , as if he acknowledged that the fate of the world was on his shoulders and soon to be lost to a cruel beast’s hands. His permanent smile quirked with something sickened. He began to speak as the human stepped forward. _

_ “ _ **_It’s a beautiful day outside…_ ** _ ” _

_ A memory of his dying mother filled his mind, rasping for breath as she finally sees him for the mistake that he is. _

_ “ _ **_Birds are singing..._ ** _ ” _

_ A memory of a melting soldier returned to him, filled with regret as she slowly faded away, but determined, she held onto hope that the world still had a chance. _

_ “ _ **_Flowers are blooming…_ ** _ ” _

_ A memory of a shattered machine echoed in his thoughts, his body completely broken down after one bullet as he offered one final quip before he stopped moving forever. _

_ “ _ **_On days like these… kids like you…_ ** _ ” _

_ The human hesitated as the skeleton opened his eyes, the sockets hollow and deep with black as he smiled viciously. His voice was a low gravel as he spoke his final line. _

_ “ _ **_...SHOULD BE BURNING IN HELL._ ** _ ” _

_ It was all so fast. His soul was blue now and he found himself frozen in place. The skeleton revealed a single, chilling blue pupil in his eye socket and raised a hand. In a flash, a giant demon skull appeared above him, it’s jaws agape and showing off sharp rows of teeth and deep within, it glowed hot with white light. _

_ He knew what was happening and he knew that he was in danger. Suddenly all at once, his senses returned to him. His chest tightened and his body stiffened; his eyes went wide with panic as he realized that struggling is futile. He was hit with several emotions at once--fear, regret, disgust in his actions. He took innocent lives, and for  _ **_what_ ** _? Why did he  _ **_do_ ** _ all of those things? He wasn’t the kind of person to harm others so ruthlessly; far from it. _

_ So why did he? Why was he here? He shouldn’t be here. He should be at school. He should be heading for the supply closet. He should be with Susie after they had fallen into darkness and he should have woken up somewhere that absolutely wasn’t here.  _ **_How the hell did he get here and why couldn’t he get away or breathe or think?_ **

_ He let out a shout as the light building in the demonic skull’s mouth finally shot out at him in a violent blast directed at his vulnerable soul-- _

__________

_ “ _ **_\--HEY!_ ** _ ” _

He let out a gasp as his eyes snapped open. Drenched in sweat, his chest heaved with every panicked breath he took and his glowing red eyes stared wide at the patched up tarp of the ceiling. His vision swam as he glanced between the two shapes hovering over him.

His companions were with him, staring down with confusion and deep unsettlement. Susie’s yellow eyes glowed in the darkness, the black slits of her pupils eyeing him with concern, but the furrow of her brow made her appear more annoyed than sympathetic. At her left sat Ralsei, his glowing white eyes wide with fear for the human, his gentle paw caressing his cheek and tethering him back to reality.

There was no dust or bodies, no skeletons with glowing eyes and skulls shooting violent beams. Kris was back in the Dark World; back with his party in the patchwork man’s shop.

“G-Goodness, Kris, are you okay?” Ralsei’s voice quaked with worry, a padded thumb smoothing over the blue skin of the hero’s cheek in hopes of soothing his stress, “Were you having a nightmare? You started panicking out of nowhere…!”

“Yeah, man, you were really freaking out,” Susie added, the grip she held on his shoulder loosening as she gave him a glance over, “You kept mumbling stuff and twitching and then you just started…  _ yelling _ .”

Kris blinked as he regained himself, his breathing slowing to normal and his mind no longer racing. He placed a gloved hand over the chest plate of his armor and he sat up slowly, his allies sitting back to give him room, but continuing to eye him cautiously as he finally settled down.

This wasn’t the  _ first  _ time he had a nightmare this vivid, but it was definitely his  **_worst_ ** so far.

“I… I’m okay,” he breathed out, his head lolled forward and hiding his eyes behind his hair, “It was just…  _ stress _ , I guess. Sorry if I woke you. I promise I’m fine now.”

__________

“So, you all will be leaving then?” The shopkeeper’s voice creaked through his cotton as the heroes finished packing their things. The already strangely spacious shop was even more roomy without their items and resting spots strewn about the flooring. It wasn’t the most comfortable place to rest, but the trio was thankful to have shelter for the night regardless.

“Yeah,” Kris replied as he patted the dust off his legs, “Thank you for allowing us to spend the night. Hopefully we weren’t too big of a burden.”

_ “Especially with Kris yelling all night,” _ Susie scoffed, stretching her arms over her head. The human’s lips tightened in an attempt to hide his embarrassment at the statement and the stuffed cat dismissively waved a large paw.

“Not at all. You three were good company,” Seam hummed, “Been a while since I have had anything happen in this little ol’ shop of mine. It was no problem at all.”

Ralsei paid off their night fee--which was surprisingly  _ low  _ compared to what they had paid for inventory and equipment--and together, the heroes headed off for the rest of their journey. As they exited the patched tent and said their goodbyes, the stitched-up man saw them off with a final cryptic line.

_ “See you around… or maybe  _ **_not_ ** _.” _

His words left Kris with an eerie feeling that he chose to ignore.

The trio headed onward through the violet fields of the red-leaved wood, making their way past enemies and continuing on their way to the Dark Fountain to the East. Kris and Ralsei made sure that  _ every _ enemy they encountered knew well to avoid Susie’s wrath as she continued to ignore Kris’ commands, lashing out and attacking just because she could. It was tedious to say the least, but Kris held back his tongue with every bit of positive encouragement Ralsei offered to soothe his annoyance.

It wasn’t long into their quest that they once again encountered their ever humorous enemy Lancer, who had been seemingly waiting for them in one of the forest clearings. Kris silently wondered if he had camped there for the night to catch them in the morning when the dog-faced prince turned to give them his signature wide grin.

“Well, flip my flapjacks! The  _ clowns _ are back in  _ town! _ ”

He began his “villain lecture”, and as he rambled about his evil plans to thwart them, Kris decided it was better to focus on where to go next. It wasn’t like he were  _ missing anything _ by tuning out the smaller boy, after all; their adventure had been following the same simple beats this whole time. Lancer gives his witty villain speech, he sends out troops, the heroes triumph against them with friendliness,  _ rinse and repeat _ .

The human glanced beyond him, acknowledging that the spade boy had a troop of very reluctant looking Darkners waiting in the wings to “thrash” them. Just down the trail, he could see that the forest cleared out at what appeared to be a tall, steel gate. Perhaps they were halfway toward their destination? Thank goodness. He was growing bored of wandering the strange neon wilderness--

_ “Stop. Just  _ **_stop_ ** _ talking.” _

Oh, right. How had he forgotten that  _ Susie _ was with them now? That, by default, always seemed to make the predictable entirely  _ unpredictable _ .

The tall purple lizard crossed her arms over her chest, her imposing size only seeming to add to her incredibly condescending glare. Ralsei stood beside her, brows furrowed as he expected the worst, “Seriously?  _ ‘Ho ho ho?’ _ What is that? Why are you  _ saying _ that?”

Taken aback, Lancer quirked a grin despite his confusion, “ _ Ho ho ho? _ It’s my evil laugh! Scary, isn’t it?”

“You sound like  _ Baby Santa Claus _ ,” Susie mocked with a scoff, and Lancer found himself fidgeting at the silly insult.

“...U-Uh… You mean like… in a  _ badass way--? _ ”

“ **_Shut up._ ** ”

Susie reached out an arm, pushing past Kris and Ralsei and the two quickly moved out of her way. She began making strides toward the little blue prince, and Kris knew instantly that this wasn’t going to end well. Ralsei struggled to find the words to stop her, wanting badly for this interaction to not go poorly, but couldn’t find the words as he glanced to Kris helplessly for any guidance. Sadly, all he found on their leader’s face was yet another disappointed glare pointed Susie’s way with no interest to intervene.

“You  _ really _ think you know how to be scary?” She began with a menacing grin, her claws clenched at her sides and Lancer looked smaller than ever.

“W-Well…” Lancer stumbled to regain composure, glancing away from her violent yellow glare, “Well, I--”

_ “ _ **_Wrong_ ** _ ,” _ Susie interrupted harshly. Her shoulders shook with the hoarse laugh that bubbled out of her throat vilely, “Man… Wannabe tough guys like you  **_really piss me off_ ** _. _ ”

“S-Susie, please,” Ralsei tried, his paws fiddling with his cloak anxiously as he tried to control the situation, “He’s not-- You don’t have to--”

“ _ Can it _ ,” Susie hissed over her shoulder, her sharp stare silencing Ralsei in an instant. She turned her attention back to Lancer, who seemed unsure if he should run away or not. She stomped another step his way and the smaller boy jolted as he stumbled a step away, “Face it, shrimp. You wouldn’t know scary…”

In a swift swipe, the lizard girl reached out her claws, snatching the prince up by the front of his black leotard and hoisting him to eye level with her. Kris and Ralsei held their breath as a  sickening sharp toothed grin split her face in a wild smile, and Lancer met her eyes with absolute fear.

_ “ _ **_... IF IT PICKED YOU UP AND BIT YOUR FACE OFF._ ** _ ” _

She let out a sickening laugh, loud and brash like a horrible villain in a movie, striking fear into her enemies. Lancer dangled helpless in her grasp as her laughter shook him to his core. Kris and Ralsei found themselves stiffened, watching with deep worry as they prepared to stop whatever was happening before them. Kris’ hand twitched as he considered drawing his sword when suddenly, the Spade Prince broke into a wide, enthusiastic grin.

“...Ohhhh! Okay! I get it!”

Susie stopped short in her evil cackle, her glowing eyes glaring down at Lancer, genuinely perplexed, “... _ What? _ ”

“I get it now!” Lancer repeated with an eager nod, squirming out of her grasp and landing to his feet with a pump of his fists, “Thank you, purple girl! For teaching me how to be really scary with an evil laugh! That was so cool!”

The heroes now stood in equal disbelief, staring baffled upon their self-proclaimed enemy. Kris and Ralsei exchanged a glance while Susie began to sweat. “W-Wait, what--? That wasn’t what I was--”

“And now,” With a snap of his fingers, Lancer alerted his troops who quickly came out of hiding, a group of jigsaw puzzle-shaped bears warily joining behind Lancer and preparing for a fight, “You three are going to be thrashed!!”

Throwing his head back, Lancer imitated the chilling laugh Susie had shown off, though coming from him, it simply sounded silly and like child’s play. With a witty goodbye, Lancer was off again, dashing down the pathway and leaving the group behind to deal with his little army. Still taken aback by the situation, the heroes regained themselves, preparing for yet another fight. Susie let out a huff as she whipped out her axe, glaring down their new enemies with a frown.

“...Well. I guess that’s  _ kind of _ an improvement.”

__________

The troops, just as everyone else they had met so far, were easily defeated, and soon the heroes were back on the road onward. A few puzzles stood in their way, easily solved with their combined efforts (but mostly Kris’) and they soon found their way to a strange new location.

The violet fields of the red forest had come to an end as the three exited the wood, entering a wide plain that resembled a large checker board. Red and black tile lined the path ahead, stretching as far as their eyes could see. The contrast from the land they had just came from was absolutely jarring. Ralsei informed the Lightners that they had reached the land called the  **Great Board** .

As they made their way across the Great Board, strange new enemies had chased and attacked along the path. Bizarre creatures that resembled pawn pieces followed them quickly and fired strange bullets. Kris found it odd that a checkerboard would have chess piece creatures wandering about it, but decided it best to focus on dodging and avoiding them than to think too deeply on it.

Along their march across the checker plain, they had run into Lancer once again, who was eager to show off just how  _ scary _ he could be now that he had been shown how to be “more intimidating”. With newformed vigor, he tried his best to quake the heroes with his frightening words, which wasn’t exactly the most effective but certainly entertaining to watch. He even went as far to prepare a bucket to mop their “blood” into when he thrashed them which was easily the height of his ridiculous plans. 

He begged for Susie’s approval, which flustered her greatly, but it wasn’t hard to notice that she enjoyed the attention.

In a way, it was a very precious sight to see Susie get along even a  _ little _ with someone, and Kris acknowledged the change in her demeanor whenever Lancer praised her or called her cool. Though a part of him also acknowledged how awkward things might become, considering she was getting along with someone who was _ technically  _ their enemy. While it was nice to see someone so crude and harsh actually have a little fun, it wasn’t exactly the most  _ desired _ outcome for their predicament.

“Hey,” Lancer had suddenly changed the topic, scratching his chin, “I’ve just been calling you guys  _ clowns _ this whole time. Does your team have an official name or something?”

What a question. Their group was thrown together so suddenly by fate that they hadn’t even considered having a name to begin with.

However, the very thought filled Ralsei with glee as he clasped his hands together, excitement clear in his glowing white eyes, “Oh! A name! That’s a wonderful idea! Kris, we should come up with a team name!”

“ _ We really shouldn’t _ ,” Susie deadpanned with a grimace.

“It’s decided then!” Lancer chimed as he picked up his useless bucket, “How about this? Everyone puts a name into the bucket! And then the blue person can pick the name! Since, uh, honestly, you really look like you don’t care.”

_ You are absolutely correct _ , Kris thought to himself, entirely unsure of how having a name was important to anything they were planning to do.

His three companions all took a sheet of paper and pencil, all provided by Ralsei and his packed bag of various items and useful tools, and together they wrote their decided options for team names. As they worked, Kris pointed his gaze back down the path they were taking along the Great Board. He noticed yet another dense forest awaiting them in the far distance, and just beyond the horizon of their crimson leaves, he could see the Fountain of Darkness flowing freely into the sky.

It was strange. Though they had made much progress in their journey to the Fountain, it still felt so far away. A part of him truly longed to get home as soon as possible; to be back in a familiar place and curl up in the warmth of his own bed. But deep down, he wondered why he was so eager to leave; why he was  _ there  _ to begin with.

Fate decided that he was a hero and that it was his duty to lead a group to destroy a danger that was prophesied to come, and while he was beginning to enjoy feeling so  _ important _ , he couldn’t shake the thought that something wasn’t right with this.

How does a  **_freak_ ** with few redeeming qualities and horrible thoughts and bad habits end up being the  _ “Savior of Light and Dark” _ ? It didn’t feel right to him; felt as though he was living some kind of lie just because he was told to. He wasn’t  _ cut out _ to be so important. It was only a matter of time before he screwed something up and ruined everything, wasn’t it? What a horrible pressure to be put under.

“Alright! Everyone’s put in their entries!”

Kris was snapped from his thoughts as Lancer thrusts the bucket at his chest. He glanced about the three of them, acknowledging their eager expressions. Ralsei looked excited as ever and even Susie had an amused smirk on her face. He supposed he had no choice but to decide.

He could lament on his concerns later. Right now, he had a team to name.

Due to his disinterest with making a serious decision, Kris had chosen the slip of paper with Lancer’s name on it, only to realize that the inside  _ also _ had the name Lancer written within. Unfortunately, they had been named after their enemy himself, who quickly decided it better to refer to the heroes as the  _ “ _ **_Lancer Fan Club_ ** _ ” _ for convenience. Kris could honestly care less, but the disappointed pout on Ralsei’s face almost made him care a little.

They continued on, avoiding Ponmen and making their way through pattern puzzles. The Board was beginning to feel dull compared to the violet fields the trio had grown used to, and Kris had honestly begun to miss the previous area greatly. At least in the fields, the enemies had more  _ variety _ . The constant reds, blacks, and whites of the plains were beginning to make his head spin.

It wasn’t long until the group had finally reached the end of the board and  _ yet again _ encountered their ever affable enemy Lancer, who was frozen dead in his tracks. He appeared to be genuinely shaken by something, and the trio halted in their steps to eye him curiously.

“Well,  _ step _ on my  _ boots _ ,” Lancer grinned, but the nervousness in his tone was still notable, “If it isn’t the  _ Lancer Fan Club _ . You guys really outta turn back while you can.”

“Lancer?!” Ralsei called out, trying to avoid sounding too exasperated to be seeing their rival once again and so soon, “What could it possibly be this time?”

In an attempt to regain his composure, the Spade Prince let out his signature chuckle as he turned menacingly to the heroes, “Oho, I’m simply warning you… Something  _ extremely _ dangerous is lying ahead! And it’s actually  **_really_ ** inconvenient! Aha… I can’t go home at  _ all  _ because I’m so scared...!”

Now more nervous than ever, the three exchanged worried looks as they hesitantly approached. “W-What is it?” Susie stammered and the heroes peered around Lancer.

_...Only to be met with a familiar cheerful little checker face. _

The group stared, speechless as they tried to figure out what the issue was. It was the same little checker with the silly little dog face they had met the evening before; the little friend who happily tip-tapped its little feet and Susie had violently batted with her axe over the horizon. It was just as goofy as it appeared the last time.

“ _...Are you kidding? _ ” Kris pointed a disbelieving look at Lancer.

“Oh! Hey, little guy,” Ralsei smiled wide, relieved to see the little checker unharmed, “I remember you!”

“Seriously?  **_That’s_ ** what you’re afraid of?” Susie snorted.

Lancer glanced between them, bewildered at their bravery as they approached the little red beast. He remained frozen in place, his grin twitching with his nerves, “Wow! Are you guys really not scared?!”

“Tsk, why  _ would _ I be?” Susie huffed as she glared at the checker, “What’s it gonna do?”

“Hmm… W-Well, you see, normally…”

Just as Lancer had begun to explain, the little checker began to tap its feet again, dancing sillily over to the end of the Great Board, hopping itself onto a red tile space before turning around to smile its dopey little puppy smile at the heroes.

Suddenly, the board began to glow a bright white light beneath its toes, and as it stood there, a strange little yellow crown appeared in a flash of light above it. The party watched in awe as the little crown slowly descended from the sky and landed neatly upon the checker’s head, crowning the checker King of the Board.

But, just before they could comment on the strange sight they had witnessed, the checker began to rumble. Its legs vibrated wildly, and then, in a flashing burst, its body had grown three times its original size. Beneath it, his legs extended, long and powerful with oddly defined muscles. The four teens stared in complete shock as the newly powered checker turned to face them fiercely, its strong legs standing firm into the ground as it began to shuffle its feet in a bizarre and threatening dance.

“...I-It, uh…  **_crushes people to death_ ** , I think,” Lancer finished his explanation in a fearful tone and the “Lancer Fan Club” finally understood the weight of the situation.

The crowned checker began to move forward, continuing to shuffle its intense dance at the heroes who hurriedly stepped back as they drew their weapons and prepared for a battle. Susie gripped her axe handle as she glared the beast down, and Kris and Ralsei nodded at each other in understanding as they began their pre-battle warning ritual.

Together, the two of them scrambled to explain that Susie can and  _ would _ try to hurt the Checker King if it wasn’t careful about dodging her attacks, but much to their dismay, it seemed the beast wasn’t capable of understanding their speech. Without hesitation, Susie darted forward, slicing a harsh slash into the Checker King’s side. Grunting in pain, it instantly retaliated, kicking its violent legs at the group in an attempt to eliminate them.

“S-Susie! Please, don’t make it angrier than it already is!” Ralsei cried out as he narrowly dodged the Checker’s flailing feet.

“It shouldn't have come at us  **_first_ ** _! _ ” Susie growled, ducking under his kick as she tried again to land a good hit.

Kris made distance between himself and the Checker King, trying hastily to find a way to handle the situation. He glanced over at the beast for any weaknesses or ideas; anything that could slow its assault. As Susie slashed her axe at its side again, he noticed that the crown on its head began to wobble.

Instantly, an idea occurred to Kris. The crown is what gave the Checker power. Knocking the crown off its head would cause it to be normal again! Kris immediately sprang into action.

“Ralsei!” He called, and the frazzled Prince turned to face him after avoiding another kick, “Quick! Don’t you know what you’re supposed to do when meeting a King?”

Blinking with confusion, Ralsei stared at him cluelessly before the realization settled in. Eyes wide, he nodded and hurriedly darted to Kris’ side to join him for their ACT. Shouting out for the Checker King’s attention, the beast turned to look at them and the duo faced it with a deep bow.

The creature tilted its head curiously before understanding at least a little. It faced them as well and began to mimic the gesture fervently, bowing excitedly at the two boys and causing its crown to rattle about. Ralsei grinned as he now understood the reason for the gesture.

“Right! Kris, you’re a genius!” The dark prince cheered, “If we keep it bowing, it’s crown will fall off and it’ll become small again! Susie! You have to help us bow at it!

However, Susie was now far from cooperating. The heat of the battle and her anger were easily getting the better of her and she gritted her teeth with anger, “Nah… Its crown will come off  _ when I  _ **_beat this guy into the GROUND!_ ** ”

She let out a vicious growl as she charged at the giant checker, slashing away with her axe and landing a couple hits into its sides and legs. The Checker King yowled and groaned, turning to face Susie once more as it continued its barrage of harsh kicks her way. Kris and Ralsei winced as one of its muscled black legs landed a particularly hard hit in her side, knocking her off her feet with a grunt and sending her tumbling into the black and red tiles. It seemed her assistance was pointless to ask for.

Lancer stood off to the side and watched as the fight went on. He watched as the Checker King grew more and more stressed and aggressive. He stared as Susie proceeded to make the Checker more angry with her violent slashes. He observed as Kris and Ralsei panicked and tried to keep the beast’s attention with their fervent bowing in his direction. It was all so hysterical--so absolutely  _ bizarre  _ to witness.

_ And even so, it was the coolest thing he had ever seen. Who knew that his Fan Club could be so  _ **_brave_ ** _! _

After many trials and errors, Kris and Ralsei had finally gotten the Checker King to bow enough to topple its golden crown, which rolled off of its head and clattered to the ground. Instantly, its body began to rumble again, and in yet another flashing burst, the checker was no longer a large and scary king, but a small little creature that was just as they remembered it being.

As the little checker slowly began to roll away, Susie had caught her breath from her rage, staring wide eyed as the creature disappeared into the forest beyond the board, “...We… We  _ did  _ it?”

Lancer let out a cheer, catching the attention of the three heroes as he hopped toward the Great Board’s edge with a giant smile, “Wow!! You clowns really  **_are_ ** heroes!! You just, like, saved the next twenty minutes of my life!!”

The heroes tucked their weapons away and dusted themselves off, Kris sighing with relief as Ralsei smiled proudly. However, before he could reply, Susie had cut him off, giving Lancer a wide and cocky smile, “...Heh! Yeah, yeah. I am pretty great, huh?”

_...Pardon? _

Ralsei stared at Susie with furrowed brows. She was taking the credit despite being a main cause of their problems during the battle. She was taking credit when all she did was ignore a simple command just to agitate and pick a fight with a creature that was already hostile and angry. How could she possibly take praise when she didn’t even do anything to help?

He knew that this was an issue that needed to be addressed. It was his job to keep the heroes on the straight and narrow. He  _ had _ to say something and couldn’t afford to shy away anymore.

“...U-Um. Susie?” Ralsei began, fidgeting with his paws as he stared down at his boots, “Not to, uh,  _ downplay  _ your contributions, but… You didn’t actually help at  _ all _ .”

Kris perked up as Ralsei began to speak out, his gaze shifting from Ralsei’s timid behavior to Susie’s cold stare pointed his way. He watched carefully, preparing himself to intervene however he  _ should  _ if necessary, but admittedly wanted to see just how boldly Ralsei could handle talking down someone like Susie. Someone had to be honest with her, right? And Kris knew now that he, himself, wasn’t exactly  _ equipped  _ to after the  **_last_ ** _ argument _ .

“What?” Susie’s cocky smirk was replaced with a disgruntled glare, “What do you mean I didn’t help? I did way more than  _ you two _ did!”

“Well, you  _ think _ you were helping by attacking, but honestly, attacking it just made everything  **_worse_ ** ,” Ralsei continued, keeping his voice as even and calm as possible. It was clear that he was afraid of upsetting her, but wanted badly to speak his concerns, “If you had just acted  _ nice _ to it in the first place, we could’ve avoided that  _ entire _ battle!”

Susie stared at the shorter boy in disbelief. Kris could see something in her expression that showed quite clearly how genuinely annoyed she was to be thrown under the bus, and though Ralsei was absolutely right in what he was saying, Kris suddenly couldn’t help feeling a little bad for her position.

_ Funny… When had Kris ever felt  _ **_bad_ ** _ for Susie? _

“Are you  _ for real? _ ” Susie combated, gesturing a hand in the direction the checker had rolled away to, “That thing was  **_bloodthirsty_ ** _! _ All you guys did was do a stupid dance at it while I did all the hardwork! The only thing that was keeping it at bay was  **_my axe_ ** _! _ ”

Ralsei began to fidget more, but finally gained the courage to meet Susie’s eyes, albeit shrinkingly, “...And, earlier, when you terrorized those troops?”

“Those guys were  _ enemies _ ,” Susie argued further, “They’re  **_for_ ** terrorizing!”

“Yeah, she’s right!!” Lancer chimed in. He was beginning to be more and more eager to defend Susie’s situation and Kris wasn’t entirely sure of how he felt about that.

“...A-And before that, you ate an innocent man’s cake back in the fields?” Ralsei continued to press further, his expression souring with every poor excuse he received. Susie found herself at a loss for a good response, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other as she tried to come up with a decent reason for bullying a stranger.

“...Cakes are… also my enemy?”

Kris shifted his attention back to Ralsei, who now wore a look he had yet to see on the prince’s face. He was disappointed-- _ deeply _ so. It was as if he was finally tired of the lizard girl’s behavior, and Kris honestly couldn’t blame him. But even so, seeing him like this after the many smiles and cute laughs he had gotten out of the fluffy prince really did cause something worrisome to stir in the human boy.

He didn’t know why, but despite the obvious correct answer, Kris was struggling very hard to decide on who to side with here.

“Susie…” Ralsei let out a soft exasperated sigh and he tried his hardest to smile patiently at her, “Whether you like it or not… You’re a  **_hero_ ** . One with the power to bring  _ peace _ to the future. Could you please start…  _ acting _ like one?”

Silence fell between the group as Susie and Ralsei stared at one another, Kris and Lancer watching the situation play out before them. The tension was palpable, thick with apprehension as the two seemed locked in a strange stare down, Ralsei with pleading, yet serious eyes and Susie with a cold blank glare. Kris was beginning to think he should say something when Susie had finally let out a huff.

“...Y’know. When you lay it out like that… I’ve been a pretty bad hero, haven’t I?”

Kicking the toe of her boot at a pebble on the ground, Susie stuffed her hands into her pockets, seemingly genuinely sorry for her behavior. Kris almost couldn’t believe how easily she was persuaded as she turned to face the three of them, her yellow eyes hidden thickly behind her bangs as she gazed at them all.

“...Yeah. Alright, Ralsei,” she sighed, “You got it. I’ll change my ways. From now on, I won’t be such a rotten hero anymore...”

Then, just as Kris and Ralsei were beginning to be convinced, the violet girl grinned a harsh smirk before pushing past the two of them roughly, causing them to stagger as she made her way to Lancer’s side, who stared up at her with confusion.

“I’ll just be one of the  **_BAD GUYS_ ** instead!”

Well, then. Kris knew it was too good to be true.

Ralsei’s glowing eyes went wide, and somehow, it seemed as though his face paled under the shadowing mask of his fur. He stammered, completely speechless as he tried to think of something-- **_anything_ ** to stop her or change her mind. As he struggled, Lancer was overcome with joy, his gloved hands clenched before him with excitement as he grinned up at her.

“R-Really?!” He practically squealed, “You’re gonna be on  _ my _ team?!”

“Yeah,” Susie smirked mockingly at her former allies as she crossed her arms over her chest, “Sounds  _ way _ easier, honestly.”

Panic raked through Ralsei as he tried his hardest to form a response, mortified by his possible huge mistake, “B-But Susie-- You shouldn’t--  _ You can’t just-- _ ”

“Quiet,  _ Toothpaste Boy! _ ” Lancer cut him off, pointing a finger at him in a threatening pose, “Susie’s  _ my _ comrade now! You can’t tell her what to do!”

“ _ Hahah! _ Yeah,  _ Toothpaste Boy! _ ” Susie joined in with the teasing, already fully enjoying the crazy and traitorous decision she had made.

Ralsei watched helplessly as the two were quickly getting along better than the three of them were as a team. The Heroes of the Legend--the  _ Lancer Fan Club _ \--all completely shattering in an instant just because he had to open his big mouth and chastise one of his allies. He couldn’t possibly do anything to change Susie’s mind.

Kris felt deep pity for him as the prince stared on, resigned and at a loss.

“Well, see you guys  **_never_ ** ,” Susie mocked as she turned on heel, heading into the forest to leave her former guide and classmate behind.

“Heh! If you can even  **_last_ ** that long!” Lancer quipped before he ran after her, cackling his classic  _ “ho ho ho” _ as the two of them disappeared down the trail and into the trees.

Kris and Ralsei now stood alone at the Great Board’s edge, silent as they watched them go. Kris spared another glance Ralsei’s way, the Prince completely deflating with gloom as he dropped his fidgeting paws to his sides in defeat.

“ _...You okay? _ ” Kris started, and immediately regretted asking such an obvious and stupid question.  _ Of course he wasn’t okay. _ He had accidentally just encouraged one of their allies to leave them behind.

“...Perhaps I… shouldn’t have been so hard on her,” Ralsei said softly, staring down at the ground with a forlorn frown, “I probably should’ve thought my words over more carefully… B-But I’m worried that if Susie’s too eager to fight, then… t-then--”

A gentle hand clasped his shoulder in a soft pat, Ralsei starting as he turned to face Kris, his hopeless eyes gazing up at his human friend for any answers or ways to fix any of this situation he had caused. Kris’ expression was soft as his red eyes met with the prince’s white ones, and held the shared gaze as a small smile quirked at his lips. The sight was instantly comforting for the mage boy.

“Don’t stress. Susie’s just…  _ like that _ ,” Kris explained coolly, “You get used to it. Really. She’ll come around if you give her time to figure stuff out. Besides, she needs  _ us _ to get back home, right?”

Ralsei’s cheeks heated slightly at his words, flustering as he glanced away bashfully, “...She mostly needs  _ you _ to get back home. You’re the one with the  _ human soul _ , remember?”

“And  **_we_ ** need our Prince from the Dark,” Kris reassured, patting his shoulder in a friendly pat before moving ahead and making his way for the forest entrance, “You said so yourself. We’re all important to the Legend, even if we do mess up sometimes. Give her time and she  _ will _ come around. You’ll see.”

Ralsei watched as his leader headed off down the trail, so level-headed and relaxed despite the stress of the earlier events. It was such a contrast to what he had seen before when Kris had gotten heated with Susie, as if he wanted to look better and  _ do _ better after causing so much tension between their group. He was so  **_mature_ ** , even when he  _ did  _ have his flaws and made mistakes. It made Ralsei’s heart race and he knew that he should follow Kris’ example the best he could.

His Teacher did warn him that his job wouldn’t be easy, but with friends like Kris to keep his wits about him, he knew that it wouldn’t be too difficult to recover. They were going to fulfill their duties and they were going to save the world, **_together_** as a group. There was no time to mope when the world needed them.

“...Right. Okay,” Ralsei nodded, his small smile returning and he jogged over to catch up with Kris, “Everything’s okay! We just have to be kind to her! She’ll  _ definitely  _ come around!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUSIE'S BECOME A BAD GUY?! WHO SAW THAT COMING?!? (E-Everyone. Literally everyone who played this game did.)
> 
> There's so much to uncover in all of this mess! Why is Kris having murderous dreams? What's with Susie and her habit of being harsh to others? Will Lancer ever master his evil villain shtick?? And how will Ralsei ever keep the party together at this rate, like his teacher had asked?
> 
> Guess we'll find out more next time! Look forward to the next chapter next week! <3


	13. Campfire Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Susie is now allied with Lancer as a bad guy. Together, the heroes and their rivals spend a night together under the stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a very relaxed one! I've been wanted to get a calm chapter out for a while, since so much has been happening between the party, so this chapter happens to be exactly that!
> 
> Quick reminder that I have a [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/socordiasomnia) to support this fic, so if you feel so inclined, please consider supporting me there as a Patron! Patrons get shoutouts on every new chapter update and also get exclusive looks at my work and early access to new chapters and art! And if Patreon isn't exactly your thing, you can also tip me on [Ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/socordiasomnia) if you would rather support that way instead!
> 
> Now without further ado, let's get into this chapter!

“Y’know, I think our evil duo could really go places!”

Susie and Lancer were taking a break from their villainous adventure to eat lunch together in the Scarlet Forest, discussing ideas and dastardly plans to defeat the Heroes with as they chowed down on Lancer’s stashed snacks. However, as Lancer chattered away, scooping his bizarre tree stump salsa into his mouth as he rambled on about how excited he was to have a partner, Susie was too caught up in her thoughts to really focus on anything he was saying.

It hadn’t been very long since she decided to ditch the “Heroes of the Legend”--or whatever the hell they were supposed to be--and she was now aligned with Lancer as a member of his army. Together, they could boss around soldiers and pull all kinds of pranks and evil tricks to defeat their enemies, which was significantly more entertaining than what she was being  _ told  _ to do before. The duo had decided to call themselves the  _ “Dark Lancer Fan Club” _ to rival the other party after plenty of thinking and sorting through intimidating team names.

Susie was finally having a lot of fun after a day of being in the Dark World, and with her new ally, Lancer, she could do whatever she wanted and get praised for her efforts. It was the best!

However, even with her newly formed friendship, she couldn’t ignore how much leaving the group left her feeling bitter. It wasn’t like traveling with  _ those losers  _ was something she wanted to do in the first place, but even so, their constant disapproval of her behavior bothered her more than she would like to admit.

Sure, she projected  _ a lot _ and did plenty of mean things to people, but it wasn’t always her issue. Many times, soldiers had attacked her, and after being gifted with the  _ coolest weapon she had ever received in her  _ **_life_ ** _ , _ it only felt natural that she would make use of it. And sure, she did bully people a lot along their journey, but when faced with the ability to prove just how strong and badass she could be, she couldn’t possibly turn down such an opportunity, could she?

...Okay, so those excuses were pretty  _ poor _ , but they were what she truly felt was the better and more entertaining thing to do. Hero or not, Susie wasn’t going to be bossed around and told what to do when she could enjoy herself, regardless of whether it was at the expense of others. They were in a new world, after all. Besides, she was used to being feared and disliked by others. What did it matter if it happened in another world as well?

Susie scowled at that thought as she stuffed a handful of salsa into her mouth. She knew that her reputation didn’t really matter in another world where no one knew who she was; she knew that she could start from scratch and be a new and better person and no one would be the wiser. But even so, why should she? Why should she pretend to be someone better than she knew she was? Why should she act like a better person when she  _ knew _ nothing about her was great or kind?

She wasn’t going to kid herself and be something she wasn’t just to look good. Not like  _ Kris _ .

Susie already couldn’t stand him back in their home world, but his sudden change in attitude and new habit of speaking out pissed her off to no end. Kris, who was awkward and weird and creepy, constantly staring with his dull eyes and muttering too low to hear; Kris, who literally had the best possible life handed to him on a silver platter and the friendliest and most caring family, but took it for granted constantly.

He was a dumb freak human, and yet for some reason in the Dark World, he acted as though he could be the exact opposite of what he truly was.

Kris was suddenly confident and outspoken. He suddenly knew exactly what to say in the heat of the moment and win over strangers’ affection without even trying. The way Ralsei looked up to him as if he were standing in the presence of a  _ god _ and followed his beck and call drove her crazy to watch.

It was gross.  _ Kris _ was gross. And she wouldn’t forget that about him either, no matter how much he pretended to be perfect. Susie would be nothing like him. She knew who she was--knew her  _ place _ . And if who she was wasn’t  _ good enough _ for him and his nerdy lap dog lackey, then she wouldn’t bother trying to win his approval in the first place.

“...Susie? Are you okay? You’ve been really quiet and you look super mad…”

Susie blinked, dragged from her annoyed thoughts and turning to look at the Spade Prince on the other side of their makeshift tree stump table. Lancer looked to her with genuine concern, his head cocked and his hand hovering over the honey pot. His worried expression caught Susie off guard, her cheeks growing hot to see someone actually interested in how she was feeling.

Not that she would tell him any of her personal plights or anything.

“Huh? Yeah, I’m okay,” Susie shook her head, standing up from where she sat in the reddish violet grass and brushed the dirt off her pants, “Just, uh, bored. No offense, but this salsa’s doing nothing for me.”

“Oh! Okay!” Lancer hopped to his feet as well with a wide grin, stashing the salsa honeypot into the tree stump once again to return to later, “Well, if you wanna keep going, we can catch up with the  _ Loser Fan Club _ and thrash ‘em! We’ve still got an evil scheme to plan, remember?”

Stretching her arms over her head, the lizard girl offered a smirk of her own as she headed off down the forest trail, Lancer eagerly falling in stride with her as they began their quest to terrorize the heroes, “Yeah, yeah. Let’s get started. I’ve got a couple of cool ideas that’ll  _ really _ blow those dorks away!”

__________

Far along the trail and deep within the woods, Kris and Ralsei were making progress through the Scarlet Forest. The duo encountered Susie and Lancer many times as the “Dark Lancer Fanclub” seemed to be planning out some big scheme that the heroes weren’t allowed to know about yet. They came across many strange enemies they had never met before on their journey to the east and made plenty of odd new acquaintances out of their enemies.

However, despite the many strange new friends they had made, Clover was by far one of the strangest they had met along their journey.

“Thanks for celebrating our birthday with us!!” The middle head of the three-headed feline monster chimed happily to Kris and Ralsei, who had been catching their breath after having to dodge so many of her club-shaped bullets.

“Not that we  _ needed _ your company to have a good birthday or anything!” The head on the left spat, turning up her nose with a  _ “Hmph!” _ despite the soft pink blush on her cheeks.

“E-Even so, it was really nice of you to talk with us…” The right head lowered sheepishly as she gave the two heroes a timid smile.

“It was no problem, really,” Ralsei gave the cerberus cat a friendly smile. Even if they were only helping people for a short while, Ralsei was greatly enjoying all of the new potential friends he was making on this quest. He had honestly expected their journey through the Dark World to be difficult, and while it had its moments of being very tense and dangerous, it seemed as though they were breezing their way through the land with no problem at all, leaving with good company rather than enemies.

Even if the party was currently broken, it wasn’t as though Susie was too far away, seeing as she and Lancer were adamant about popping in every once in a while with their silly antics. It never took long to find them again, but really, it seemed the “villains” were mostly coming to find  _ the heroes _ all the time.

“Oh, oh, oh! And did you know?” The middle head of Clover suddenly blurted out, “There’s a bake sale going on!”

“Bake sale?” Ralsei perked up at the idea, “We are running low on food. Where is it?”

“Up North,” mumbled Clover’s right head, “Just follow the trail... You can’t miss it.”

“Not unless you’re  _ blind _ or something,” scoffed the left head with a mocking grin.

“Good to know. Thanks.” Kris was already on his way down the trail as he waved over his shoulder, Ralsei following after. He didn’t want to admit it to her, but Clover’s constant chattering was really beginning to give him a headache.

Just as they had been told, further along the trail were rows of stands put together by various soldiers of the Card Kingdom’s army. Rudinns and Hathys sat at the stalls, selling various sweets and baked goods to be sold at convenient prices. Excitement coursed through Ralsei at the very thought of being able to taste someone else’s baking for once. Though he was a baker himself, he had never gotten to taste another’s style of baking, especially not when his Teacher lacked interest in the very idea of making sweets the way Ralsei did.

However, he was taken out of his thoughts when he noticed that further down the road, a very sloppily-made stall was being used by two very familiar faces. Susie and Lancer sat behind their cardboard boxes, bags of  _ some kind of food _ piled before them as they very non-discreetly stared Kris and Ralsei’s way. They were waiting to be acknowledged and have their first customers. The boys gave each other knowing looks before sighing and deciding to take the bait.

“ ‘Sup,  _ nerds _ ?”  Susie greeted as she leaned over the “counter”.

“May we interest you in a Lancer Cookie? They’re a mere 40G!” Lancer grinned, holding up the little baggies of messy burnt cookies, all of which were in the shape of the Spade Prince’s face and designed with sloppy frosting.

“All proceeds go to  _ kickin’ your ass _ ,” Susie added with a daunting smirk.

Ralsei eyed the cookie bags with a small grimace. He was no expert on baking, but he could tell that they weren’t made with any proper ingredients. In fact, it almost looked as though a few of them were green underneath the blackened edges. He wasn’t so sure he would be able to stomach such a thing and would much rather bake his own cookies just to be safe from potential food poisoning.

...But then again, they  _ were _ trying to be kind to their rivals. Maybe if they buy a few it would please Susie and Lancer enough to keep them satisfied.

“Sure,” Kris spoke out without hesitation, snapping Ralsei from his thoughts entirely, “I’ll take a bag.”

_ Seriously?!  _ Ralsei blanched. He didn’t even look like he thought over the decision at all! The prince watched with furrowed brows as the human handed over the funds and received a bag of “cookies” from the spade. 

“Thank you kindly, my good man!” Lancer chimed with a cheeky grin.

“For getting  **_cheated by us_ ** _! _ ” Susie finished with a toothy smile of her own.

“Ho ho ho! Now we may fund our illicit plans!!”

The two suddenly kicked down the cardboard stand, cackling their wicked laughs before pushing past Kris and Ralsei. The heroes watched in confusion as the duo then turned abruptly and headed for the sale nearest to them, a donut stand run by a Hathy cleric who seemed to anticipate their arrival. Before the two overexcited teens could even speak their desired request, the woman exhaled a sigh and held out a tentacle for their money.

Hooting with excitement, Lancer placed the 40G they  _ just _ received into her waiting appendage, and using another of her tentacles, she scooped up a prepared donut bag and placed it into Susie’s claws. Kris and Ralsei stood bewildered as the evil duo practically skipped away from the stand before flopping down to take a seat in the grass and discuss their newest purchase. 

“Alright, how’re we gonna split this jelly donut?” Susie began, tugging the donut out of the bag for the two of them to observe.

“I’ll take the blood and you take the skin!!” Lancer cheered, his tongue lolling from his mouth as he rubbed his gloved hands together with glee.

Kris and Ralsei watched on as the two of them bargained what to do with their dessert, Ralsei staring baffled while Kris simply watched with his usual deadpan expression. He would be lying if he were to say he expected any different. 

The duo decided to approach their rivals as they finally settled on how to split their spoils, devouring their sticky donut halves messily. Ralsei contemplated offering them something to wipe their mouths with, but acknowledged that his assistance would probably be ignored. “So, uh… If I may ask, how does a jelly donut fit into your plans exactly?”

“All good plans allocate for delicious treats!” Lancer hummed as he licked strawberry jam from his fingers.

“Yeah. Sounds like you need to go to  _ Plan School _ , Dr. Toothpaste,” Susie scoffed through her mouthful of donut, not even sparing a glance to the dark prince.

“Hoho, yes!!” Lancer joined in, “Go earn a second doctorate,  _ Smart Genius!! _ ”

The duo began to laugh among themselves, high-fiving at their assumed triumphant attempt at insulting Ralsei before they began devouring their donut halves further. Ralsei simply took the verbal beating, blinking with genuine confusion before turning his attention to Kris for any idea on what to do next. The human was already ignoring the two before them in the dark grass, his interest back on the bake sale stalls.

He perked up at the stall beside the Hathy’s donut stand, an attentive glint in his crimson eyes as he started making his way over. Ralsei followed suit, curious of what had suddenly caught the boy’s attention as he looked on to where they were headed.

A Choco Diamond stand, run by a Rudinn soldier. Ralsei had heard about them before; how they’re a sweet delicacy and a favorite among Darkners for their rich flavor, despite how small they were. The Rudinn soldier gave the two a lazy forced smile as they approached her stall.

“Hey. Interested in a Choco Diamond?” She spoke in a friendly tone, despite how bored and tired she looked, “All proceeds go to  _ ‘Rudinn Relief Funds’ _ , I guess. It’s only 40G!”

Well, it wasn’t hard to see where Susie and Lancer got their  _ marketing idea  _ from.

Once again, without hesitation, Kris spoke out before Ralsei had a chance to decide, “ _ We’ll take  _ **_ten_ ** _. _ ”

“T-Ten?!” Ralsei’s eyes widened with disbelief, “Kris, that’s half of our money!”

“And our inventory was empty,” Kris shrugged nonchalantly, “so it evens out.”

Baffled by his impulsive decision, Ralsei proceeded to watch as the snake woman perked up at the deal they had just made. Kris offered her the money without hesitation and happily took the purchased bag of Choco Diamonds off her hands with a ‘thank you’. Reaching into the bag, he tugged out two of the diamond shaped candies and offered one for Ralsei to take. The prince flustered as he accepted the chocolate, studying it in his paw as Kris proceeded to toss his own into his mouth.

“They do look pretty good,” Ralsei sighed as he glanced over at Kris, who’s stoic demeanor had changed entirely to bliss upon eating their newly acquired sweets, “You must really like chocolate to get so many!”

“ _ You have  _ **_no_ ** _ idea, _ ” Kris groaned with contentment, “These things taste amazing.”

__________

As evening settled, the heroes had decided to rest for the night near the bake sale stalls. It seemed that many of the soldiers selling in the area were closing shop, some deciding to pack up and head home while others stayed behind, camping out under the forest trees and turning in for the night. They didn’t seem bothered by the Lightners’ company in the slightest; probably due to their generous patronage in buying for their causes. Some Darkners even voiced their gratitude, thanking them for buying so much of their goods as they bid them farewell for the night.

And now here they were, gathered around a makeshift campfire under the Dark World’s eternal night sky. The teens had proceeded to go through their collected goods, snacking on donuts and chocolates and whatever Lancer Cookies  _ really _ were together as a group. Ralsei couldn’t help but eye their “rivals” oddly as he fidgeted with the donut in his paws. Susie and Lancer had decided to join them, stuffing their faces with sweets that Kris had generously provided for them without a single care in the world.

“It’s funny that we’re all spending the night together,” Ralsei decided to break the silence, “This whole time we figured you guys didn’t like us very much, and yet here you are at our campfire!”

“Don’t read into it,” Susie muttered as she chomped down another of Lancer’s cookies.

“Yeah! We’re just taking advantage of a convenient opportunity!” Lancer smirked his best evil smirk, which only made him appear more playful than sinister.

“Uh-huh,” Kris hummed, poking at the burning branches of their campfire with the tip of his blade to stoke the flames, “And does this also play a hand in your  _ ‘evil plot’ _ to thrash us?”

“You know it,” Susie sneered with a snort. Swallowing the rest of her cookie, she leaned back into the dark grass around them, her arms crossed behind her head as she leisurely stared up at the stars between the red leaves of the trees. She looked very content;  _ cozy _ even. It was much different from her usual demeanor and Kris had to admit that it wasn’t an unwelcome change of attitude.

Satisfied to see how relaxed everyone was feeling after a long day of progressing on their journey, Ralsei couldn’t hold back a fond smile as he looked among his company. Despite the circumstances and the trouble they had faced making their way to this point, it was clear that the Lightners were beginning to feel more at home in the Dark World. Even with occasional tension between them, Kris and Susie always seemed to lighten up with every new encounter and strange adventure.

Ralsei quite liked traveling with this group. Even if they didn’t like to say it, he could tell that they were all becoming friends on this journey of theirs.

“Well, we’re happy to have you two along for the evening!” Ralsei beamed. He pointed his glowing white gaze to the fire before them, taking in the soft glow of the dancing flames as he exhaled a soft sigh, “I’m impressed at how quickly you got a fire started, Kris. Is this something you’ve practice?”

Kris gave a light shrug, flexing his fingers and causing the blade in his hand to disappear in a flash of light, “I guess you can say that… My dad used to drag me and my brother out for camping every weekend. When everyone in your family can start fires with their bare hands, you gotta learn how to keep up in your own way, y’know?”

“Yeesh.  _ Every weekend? _ ” Susie grimaced to herself, her yellow gaze shooting Kris a look, “ _ That _ often? That sounds boring as hell.”

“It wasn’t really,” Kris replied, leaning back on his hands and gazing up to the stars above, “I mean, yeah, it was kinda excessive, but it was never  _ boring _ . Dad just… really liked us spending time together, even when it was really annoying sometimes. And my bro always made things interesting somehow.”

“Did you all just sit around a campfire eating snacks, too?” Ralsei asked with a tilt of his head.

“Well, yeah,” Kris chuckled, “There’s not much else to do when it gets dark. We’d sit around and eat chocolate and marshmallows, telling creepy stories and playing games. Sure, it got old every once in a while, but it was still  _ something _ .”

“Ooh, that sounds fun!” Lancer scooted forward in the dirt, his shadowed face seeming to brighten with excitement, “Is this, like, normal Lightner stuff? Hanging out in the middle of nowhere and eating sweets for no reason? That’s so weird! What about you, Susie? Do ya eat stuff and tell weird stories in the middle of nowhere, too?”

Susie had fallen silent as the conversation carried on, her sharp gaze focused on the twinkling lights through the trees and seemingly lost in her thoughts. She blinked as everyone now had their attention on her, all three boys staring and waiting for her reply. Her brows lowered in a glare as she glanced between them all, huffing through her nose as she focused back above to avoid their eyes.

“...Uh.  _ No _ ,” she muttered, and Kris could have sworn he saw her cheeks redden in the darkness, “Camping’s  _ lame  _ anyway. Just ‘cuz we’re both from the Light World doesn’t mean we do the same stuff, Lancer.”

Kris frowned at her reply. Though he could tell that she was trying to hide it, her tone was awfully  _ defensive _ .

It didn’t occur to him that talking about this would be strange for her, but then again, he didn’t know much about Susie in the first place. Despite being  _ well acquainted _ as decided enemies back in school, he never really stopped to wonder what she was like as a person.

She’s never gone camping with family... Did she even  _ have  _ family to take her camping in the first place?

“Aww. That’s lame,” Lancer pouted from where he sat beside the lizard girl, “But hey! I guess we can relate! My dad doesn’t take me camping either!”

_ Geez, Lancer, _ Kris winced, _ at least think your words over a little before speaking! _

Silence rose awkwardly between the group as the four teens settled in the abrupt change of atmosphere. Susie proceeded to turn her head away to look anywhere other than Lancer, occupying her attention on whatever wouldn’t make her feel singled out at the moment. Lancer remained oblivious and confused as Ralsei and Kris exchanged a withering look. They tried to think of a topic change that wouldn’t be nearly as tense.

“... _ Ahem _ ,” Ralsei cleared his throat, effectively grabbing the attention of the two other boys, “So, telling stories? That’s a thing that you do when  _ camping _ , yes? That might be fun to try!”

“Uh-- Yeah,” Kris nodded as he reached over to grab another choco diamond from their pile of snacks, “Campfire stories. Basically everyone tells a story and whoever comes up with the spookiest story wins for the night.”

“Wins  _ what? _ ” Susie frowned, still refusing to glance at the group as she rolled onto her side to watch the grass ripple with the breeze.

“Oh. Well, I dunno,” Kris shrugged as he nibbled on the chocolate in his hand, “The acknowledgement that you’ve successfully terrified everyone for the night or whatever? There’s no physical prize really other than boosted pride, I guess.”

“Oho! Sounds fun!” Lancer clapped excitedly before hopping up to his feet, “Can I go first? I bet I can scare all of your pants off, no problem!”

The three before him shot a look at one another, eyes full of disbelief and amusement before they all pointed their attention back to Lancer. Susie sat up from her reclined position and Kris and Ralsei leaned in with anticipation.

“Challenge accepted,” Kris quirked a brow at the dog-faced prince, “What’s the  **_worst_ ** you’ve got?”

__________

The night had gone comfortably as the four continued to bond. Everyone told their best stories, Kris having won effortlessly after telling a chilling horror story about a killer in the woods (which Susie complained to be  _ cheating _ due to his excessive experience with scary campfire stories) and Ralsei losing pitifully as he wasn’t the best with creepy storytelling. Afterward, the group decided to play a simple game of truth or dare, which lead to Lancer willingly eating a leaf at Susie’s dare request and immediately regretting it when it tasted horribly bitter.

It was a nice night shared between the group; their first night not only together, but together as friends. Ralsei was grateful for a night like this, being able to share his time with so many interesting people. It was honestly a bit surreal for him. Just a year ago, he never would’ve imagined he would be sitting together with anyone other than his Teacher, playing games and laughing together the way that he was now. 

Even if many questions hung heavily over his head with every passing moment, Ralsei couldn’t help but feel thankful for where he was and what he had accomplished thus far. Surely his Teacher would be proud of him for his progress, wherever he was now.

“Welp! I’m tired.” Susie stretched with a big yawn, dragging Ralsei from his thoughts. “You dorks do whatever. I’m gonna crash.”

“Aww, already?” Lancer frowned as he finished yet another of his cookies, “Well, I guess we do have lots of villainy to do tomorrow.”

“Yup, and we gotta get a head start just so we can thrash these dweebs,” Susie smirked, baring her sharp fangs menacingly at Kris and Ralsei before she flopped back into the grass to get comfortable.

“Yeah, yeah! The real thrashing begins tomorrow!” The Spade Prince joined in, his tongue lolling from his mouth as he grinned wildly at the heroes, “Get all the sleep you can get! ‘Cuz we’re gonna really knock your socks off!!”

Ralsei raised a paw to his scarf covered mouth to stifle a giggle as he tucked away his journal into his bag and nestled down into the grass as well, “Well, if you say so. If it’s really all that exciting, I suppose we’ll have to get as much sleep as possible, won’t we, Kris?”

“Yeah, we will,” Kris began, but then turned his sharp red eyes to give Susie and Lancer his most unsettling and hollow stare, “Unless, of course, we get a visit from the  **_blade slasher_ ** in the night. I imagine it’d be hard to sleep with  _ him _ around--”

“Kris, please, we actually  _ want  _ to sleep tonight,” the dark prince cringed, tugging his hat lower on his head. As Lancer shrunk away under his stare and Susie shot him an uneasy grin, Kris’ disturbing expression broke into a smirk as he chuckled to himself, proud to have successfully scared everyone for the night.

Kris had kicked dirt into their tiny campfire, putting out the flames as everyone settled in to sleep for the night. However, as everyone had drifted off into their dreams, Kris had found himself lying awake, staring up into the white stars of the void above them.

He hated to admit it, but he was beginning to find it incredibly hard to sleep. After having two nights in a row of horribly vivid nightmares, he wasn’t exactly sure if he  _ trusted _ himself to sleep anymore. He didn’t want to risk waking in the night again, panicking out of his dreams in front of everyone like he did before. Kris wasn’t sure if he could handle that kind of embarrassment twice and have everyone look at him strangely.

Those dreams… They were more common than he would like to admit. Every other night he would have vivid nightmares of dusted monsters. He would dream of stained knives and empty towns. He always felt as though he wasn’t quite there despite being entirely present for the horrible details of whatever he did in those dreams, as if his body was on autopilot and his mind was still running, sitting in the passenger seat and watching hell break loose at his hands.

It wasn’t something he would ever  _ dream _ of doing. He wasn’t a violent person; not in the slightest. Even if he did fight sometimes, even if he felt argumentative, he never would do anything to fatally harm another person.

_...So why did his dreams tell him  _ **_otherwise_ ** _? _

Kris shook his head. No. No, he couldn’t afford to get into this. He needed a distraction; something to keep his mind off of his awful thoughts so that he could finally get some rest.

He sat up slowly, careful not to wake anyone up as he glanced about their makeshift campsite. Everyone was sleeping peacefully. Susie and Lancer were snoring away to his left, and somehow ended up snuggled up to each other, Lancer curled up to Susie’s side and using her stomach as a pillow. Ralsei slept on the other side of Kris, his head rested in his palm and his knees tucked to his chest. His position made him look smaller than ever.

Ralsei… He was a good distraction for his thoughts. The prince was so kind and generous, constantly putting others before himself and offering to help people without a second thought. Perhaps it was naivety that guided his decisions, but no matter the situation, he always held a strong sense of optimism in his heart.

Though, even with Ralsei being all of these wonderful traits, Kris couldn’t help but to wonder more about him. He was such a mystery, even when he acted so open and honest.  _ A lonely prince of an empty kingdom. _ It raised so many more questions that Kris couldn’t even begin to sort through. For someone so  _ solitary _ , he carried so much  **_knowledge_ ** . He spoke with others willingly without a single hint of bashfulness and knew how to carry a conversation well with anyone. While Kris certainly wasn’t an expert on conversation and behavior, it really did surprise him just how casually Ralsei could handle social situations.

Kris wanted to ask him how he did it, what it was like to be alone for his entire life and how he knew that it was his destiny to help heroes save the world. But for some reason, whenever he began to ask, he always found himself holding back his tongue, trying to avoid bothering the prince about it and choosing to just go with the flow of things. Kris’ brows furrowed as he watched Ralsei sleep, his gaze following the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

Then a thought occurred to him as his eyes trailed away and caught a glimpse of the dark prince’s satchel.

Curiosity bubbled within him, quickly followed with a nagging feeling of guilt. Kris knew that what had come to mind was a very, very poor idea. It wasn’t just risky, but a very cruel violation of their friendship. But now that the thought had rung so sharply through his mind, he just couldn’t seem to shake it away.

Ralsei carried a journal in his bag. A personal diary containing all of his thoughts and day to day life.  _ Surely it would have the answers he was looking for. _

Kris bit his lip at the very thought, a hot wash of shame tinting his cheeks cobalt as he realized just how bad of an idea this was. But even so, he supposed that if he was silent enough, he could get the book quickly, take a quick peak, and have it back in Ralsei’s bag before he even found out. It couldn’t be too hard. He had done this many times to steal a glance at his brother’s diaries!

But even so, this felt particularly  _ horrible _ to do. So very  **_rude_ ** , but not enough to stop him from beginning to crawl his way over to the sleeping prince.

Silently, the human boy cautiously made his way through the grass, careful not to make too much noise as he approached Ralsei’s side. He spared a glance to Susie and Lancer from time to time to make sure they had stirred as he slowly made his way closer, certainly not wanting either of them to see and rat him out for it. It wasn’t long until he was hovering close to Ralsei, the mage having not budged once since Kris put his plan into motion.

Kris hesitated, looming over his friend as he glanced between his peaceful sleeping face and the bag on the other side of him. He would have to reach  _ directly over _ Ralsei to reach his satchel, a terribly inconvenient circumstance that he wasn’t very happy with. Holding his breath, Kris gazed upon his face one last time before he began to slowly reach his way over his chest.

Slowly, he hovered his arm over him, his gloved fingers brushing the leather of the satchel’s flap and he carefully began to shift it open. Within, he could see the spine of the journal peeking out, surrounded by the prince’s other belongings. Pausing only for a moment to spare one last glance at Ralsei’s sleeping face, Kris slowly began to tug the little book from the confines of the satchel...

_...And jolted as a black paw reached up to tightly grip his wrist, small claws digging harshly into the skin. _

Tensing with a sharp wince, Kris turned to look down at Ralsei and was met with wide, fearful white eyes. Ralsei was wide awake now, his expression full of shock as he seemed to come down from the terrified panic. The two of them froze in awkward silence, their eyes locked and their breathes caught in their throats. Their cheeks flushed as they held their intense stares at one another.

Then Ralsei broke their silent stare down, white pupils flicking to the bag at his side where Kris’ fingers gripped at his journal. His brows furrowed, his attention back on the human mere inches from his face as he carefully retracted his claws from the hero’s wrist. His grip remained, holding his arm in place.

“ _...U-Um… Kris… _ ” Ralsei began, his soft voice a shaky whisper, “ _ What… are you doing…? _ ”

Kris was silent, face paled and absolutely  _ mortified _ to have been caught with his hand directly in the metaphorical cookie jar. It wasn’t often he screwed up  _ this badly _ , but now he had to face the consequences. Was there even a way out of this?

“...I-- Uh--” He stammered like the fool he felt he was at the moment, “I was, um-- Trying to get… some water?”

_ Stupid! _ Kris scolded himself,  _ You’re literally holding something that isn’t even  _ **_close_ ** _ to that! _

Ralsei continued to stare up at Kris, his gaze still full of worry and discomfort as he studied the boy’s face. Kris was beginning to sweat, expression tense as he hopelessly wished to disappear in this exact moment. Ralsei bit his lip, trying to will back his nerves as he offered a shaky smile, his hold on Kris’ wrist going slack and the human released his journal, taking his hand back to gingerly rub at his skin and sit back.

“H-Hah, gee, Kris,” Ralsei chuckled softly and sat up as well, tugging his back close to his side to grab the small canteen he had inside, “If you wanted something, you could’ve just asked, you know…”

He handed Kris the container and Kris gave him a lopsided smile, unable to process words to respond as he decided instead to busy himself with the drink he didn’t even actually  _ want _ just to save face. How incredibly stupid of him. He wanted to punch himself very badly for this.

Ralsei watched as Kris drank, a soft smile on his face as he now sat up properly, his hands folded in his lap as he tried to keep a calm demeanor, “Er-- I’m also terribly sorry for grabbing you so hard. I didn’t mean to scratch you at all! Y-You just… really surprised me is all.”

Kris gulped down the water he had just downed, closing the canteen and handing it back to Ralsei stiffly as he quickly shook his head, “No, no, you’re totally fine. It was my bad, really. I really shouldn’t have reached over you like that--”

“ _ Oh, my god, do you guys like  _ **_ever_ ** _ sleep? _ ” Susie suddenly spoke out in a sleepy grumbled, groaning in annoyance and rolling over, causing Lancer to sink down to the ground with a soft thud and somehow managing to sleep through the whole movement, “Just go back to bed already...!”

The two froze, sparing each other one last look before Ralsei took the canteen out of Kris’ hands, placing it into his bag and the two of them proceeded back to their resting spots.

“S-Sorry, Susie,” Ralsei whispered, as he curled back into the grass, his satchel now gripped to his chest as he laid down once more, “We can talk more in the morning, Kris…!”

“Y-Yeah… We can,” Kris nodded, lying back into the grass and turning his back to the other boy. Contrary to what had been said, Kris really wasn’t excited to discuss anything about what he had just done in the slightest. He silently hoped for this all to be forgotten in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes, Kris, way to make things _extremely awkward_ \--
> 
> So, the heroes and the villains have bonded a bit! Surely this will lead to a good friendship! But also, Ralsei's privacy was nearly invaded, which doesn't exactly bode well in the "friendship" department.
> 
> Perhaps we'll see how things go in the next chapter! Thank you for reading and see you all next week!


	14. Settling the Rivalry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Lancer Fan Club approaches their destination, Susie offers a proposition to the heroes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter turned out _very long_. I contemplated cutting it in half several times, but never found a place that was satisfying enough to do that with. Aside from that, though, I hope you enjoy this chapter! This chapter marks the end of the long journey to the Card Castle!
> 
> Quick reminder that I have a [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/socordiasomnia) to support this fic, so if you feel so inclined, please consider supporting me there as a Patron! Patrons get shoutouts on every new chapter update and also get exclusive looks at my work and early access to new chapters and art! And if Patreon isn't exactly your thing, you can also tip me on [Ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/socordiasomnia) if you would rather support that way instead!

The next morning, Kris had awoken to see that Susie and Lancer were already gone. Lancer had left behind a messy written note beside him saying that they had “successfully tricked them both into letting them hang out for the night” and that the  **_real_ ** thrashing was going to begin now. Kris couldn’t bring himself to feel even slightly concerned about what they had planned and decided to crumple up the note and pocket it.

Ralsei had already been awake, patiently waiting for Kris to awaken as well while he began to pack their things. The two exchanged a “good morning“, and together they finished packing up to continue on their journey. The Darkners that had camped out nearby bid them farewell and wished them luck in their journey, a gesture that Ralsei greatly appreciated. The heroes headed off to continue their trip through the Scarlet Forest, refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the Dark World.

Kris acknowledged that Ralsei’s behavior had been the same as ever, positive and optimistic, focused fully on their quest and what to do next. Despite how familiar he was with this personality of his, Kris couldn’t shake the feeling that it was odd to experience now.

What had happened last night—the  _ rude mistake _ he had made—was still weighing heavy on his mind. He couldn’t shake the guilt it made him feel and he had trouble meeting the prince’s eyes, as it only seemed to make him feel worse. And yet, somehow, Ralsei was acting as though it hadn’t happened at all. He was smiling and acting as normally as he usually did. It made Kris feel even worse that he couldn’t get over his mistake, but he decided it best to just go with it and not bring it up.

If Ralsei didn’t want to talk about it, it was probably for the better that they  _ didn’t _ . 

Together, they wandered the forest trail, avoiding spinning traps and dancing figures that twirled along the trees. More of their new bizarre enemies crossed their paths and blocked their way as they traveled onward; men made of building blocks and dusty rabbits that jumped from the bushes. Defeating their enemies with kindness was now second nature to them and they got by with little to no issue.

Of course, along the way, they encountered Susie and Lancer. The duo seemed to be taking their plan a little more seriously now, actually setting plans into motion while also somehow seeming lazier and lazier about their planning. Lancer had come to them with a fake mustache under his nose, begging for help as a “sweet little boy” in need of the perfect “evil scheme” to impress his best friend Susie. It wasn’t convincing in the slightest, but Kris and Ralsei played along anyway to help satisfy the two further.

They were to design a machine to  _ “thrash their own asses” _ , a duty that fell to Kris as Lancer shoved a pencil into his hands and placed down the blueprint board for him to begin. Once again, not taking it seriously, the human doodled a cartoon duck on the paper, handing the pencil back to Lancer as Ralsei gushed over how cute it looked. Susie then hopped out of the bushes to steal the blueprints, but was staggered by how incredibly stupid the machine design looked.

The evil duo decided to accept their design, snatching the blueprints and disappearing off into the forest again. Shrugging it off, Kris and Ralsei continued on the trail, assuming they would see what their weird duck invention would amount to later.

After a long while of battling enemies, solving puzzles, and getting chased by a particularly abrasive bird-like monster, it wasn’t long until the boys once again ran into Susie and Lancer in a forest clearing. It was obvious, however, that they weren’t making any progress in their dastardly schemes. The two lounged in comfortable lawn chairs, leisurely relaxing as if sunbathing while two exasperated Rudinn guards fanned them with large green leaves.

_ A strange sight, considering there was no sun to bathe under and every tree they had seen in this forest had red leaves, but Kris chose not to think too deeply into it. _

Ralsei acknowledged a Rudinn huddled in a corner, watching with deep concern as he fidgeted with his blade in his hands. He noticed the heroes first, turning to face them with nervous eyes.

“Hey, uhh… that purple girl? She’s  _ your _ friend, right?”

“You could say that, yes,” Ralsei gave the snake man a withered smile, “She hasn’t caused any of you too much trouble, has she?”

“ _ Caused  _ **_us_ ** _ trouble? _ ” The Rudinn sighed, “Well, sure, but not nearly as much as she’s gonna cause the  _ prince _ trouble. Those two have really become great friends by the looks of it! Someone really outta warn the King about this immediately…!”

His voice trailed quiet as he turned back to the “Dark Lancer Fan Club”, eyeing the two relaxing teens anxiously. He fiddled with the blade in his hands more and muttered nervously under his breath, “ _ But it’s definitely not gonna be me, though. Whoever breaks the news to him is gonna get  _ **_wrecked_ ** _. _ ”

The boys didn’t have time to question him on that statement before they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of Lancer loudly calling out for their attention.

“Well, if it isn’t the  _ Loser Fan Club! _ ” He sneered from where he lounged in his lawn chair.

“You already used that, dude,” Susie snorted from her own chair, stretching her arms over her head before settling back into her comfortable position. From behind her, the Rudinn soldier fanning her looked to the heroes with wide fearful eyes.

“Y-You two! She’s with you, right?” He spoke urgently, eyes pleading, “Please get her under control! She’s been forcing me to fan her for like a half an hour!”

“Nah, they’re  _ my  _ enemies, actually,” Susie smirked, showing off her vicious fangs as she shot a glare Ralsei’s way, who shrunk under her judgement, “In fact, we split up ‘cuz I was too  **_evil_ ** for them.”

Her tone caused something in Ralsei’s heart to ache. Even after all the times they had been crossing paths, even after spending a night together as a group around a campfire, Susie was  _ still _ bitter about what he had said to her just the day before. It only worsened how ashamed he felt in himself for being so stern with her, even if her scolding was deserved.

Even so, Ralsei greeted her glare with a kind smile, his brow furrowed as he tried his best to strike up a friendly conversation, “Good afternoon, you two. How’s the thrash machine coming along?”

“...The  _ what _ machine?” Lancer stared to his fellow prince blankly.

“The weapon you guys had us design,” Kris quirked a brow, “The duck thing? We literally just designed it for you a little while ago.”

“Oh, that thing?” Susie gave a long, lazy yawn, “Eh, we’re gonna work on it last minute.”

“Y’know, you guys should really work on things sooner,” Ralsei timidly began, but was immediately cut off by Lancer’s groan.

“Ugh! What’s with the  _ lecture _ ? I didn’t come here for a second dad!”

“Heheh! Yeah, you tell ‘im!” Susie laughed and encouraged, proud of Lancer’s blatant sass.

Ralsei bit his lip, choosing not to speak more on the matter. It was strange for him, seeing so much change between the four of them in such a short amount of time. Disheartened, he decided to point his gaze on his boots, thumbs twiddling anxiously as the evil duo continued to laugh. Kris frowned to see him so bothered by their harsh words. He figured it best to speak up and direct their bullying away from the prince for a while.

“So, you’re still not bored of being evil yet?”

“Pfft,  _ hell nah _ ,” Susie huffed, “Gotta say, being a bad guy’s pretty sweet. Not only is it  _ way  _ more fun than being  _ ‘good’ _ , but  **_my_ ** teammate is  _ proud _ of what I do!”

_ Figures _ , Kris thought to himself, sighing as he eyed the trail leading out of the clearing and further into the forest, “Well, you do you, I guess. We’ve still got a spot in our party open for when you  _ wanna go home _ .”

“Whatever,” Susie shrugged off his comment, “Y’know, if you’re jealous, you can be a bad guy, too, Kris.”

“I promise you I could care less,” Kris deadpanned and decided it was best not to waste anymore time. He lightly elbowed Ralsei’s arm to grab his attention, who jolted before nodding in agreement. The two of them began back on their way toward the forest trail. As they began on their way back into the woods, Lancer sat up from his cozy lawn chair to call out to them once again.

“Oh, by the way, beware yourselves of the forest maze!”

“You’ll probably get  _ completely  _ lost without someone who knows the way through,” Susie added with a mocking grin.

“Yeah! And I know the forest like the back of my head!” Lancer smiled proudly. Kris rolled his eyes, waving over his shoulder dismissively as he and Ralsei made their way through the forest.

Just as they had been warned, the maze was actually confusing compared to the so-called  _ “maze of death” _ they had experienced at the beginning of their adventure. Winding roads lead to dead ends, trees and scenery looked the same no matter how many times they turned. They found themselves running into Lancer and Susie occasionally, both of them unsurprisingly just as lost and confused as they were.

After plenty of wrong turns and dodged enemies hiding within the forest, Kris and Ralsei soon found themselves free of the forest maze. Relieved to spot another of the strange sparkling lights that he still had yet to figure out the name of, he discreetly brushed it with his fingers while Ralsei gazed onward down the trail, his mind instantly put at ease before he stood to join the prince.

“We’re so close to the fountain now,” Ralsei spoke up as Kris approached, his eyes wistful as he gazed on the Fountain of Darkness beyond the trees, now closer than it had ever been, “I honestly can’t believe it. It feels like we’ve been traveling for ages at this point…”

“Oh, yeah? Have I really been boring you with my company that much?” Kris teased, a smile quirked on his lips as Ralsei began to fluster.

“O-Oh-- Of course not! I just mean, um--” Ralsei shook his head, regaining himself, “It’s just that… I’ve always seen that fountain from my bedroom window. And now that it’s so close… Now that we’re  _ nearly there _ …”

“...You’re starting to get nervous?” Kris finished with a tilt of his head.

Ralsei let out a soft chuckle, shouldering and adjusting his satchel strap, “ _ Nervous _ doesn’t even  **_begin_ ** to express how I feel. I’m mostly in shock from all of the progress we’ve made together, I suppose. It’s just… really  _ bizarre _ , knowing that we’re so close to our destination.”

Silence fell between them as they stared off into the distance, watching as the Dark Fountain replica rose high into the sky and bled darkness into the void of night above. It was a truly beautiful sight, even if the Fountain’s very presence was a dire issue. Kris could honestly stare at it for hours, but knew that there was no time for such things.

“Well, everything is going to be okay,” Kris finally spoke as he began his way back along the trail, “This is going to be your first time going to see it up close, right? I guess I understand what you’re feeling. But regardless of whatever’s waiting for us there, we’ll be able to handle it with no problem. We’re the _‘legendary heroes’_ , remember?”

Ralsei’s heart clenched at his words.  _ His “first time seeing the fountain up close”... _ That was far from the truth. He knew  _ exactly _ where they were going. He remembered the Castle of Cards, the long dark halls, the overly tense servants and soldiers. He remembered the first time he met Lancer and how the prince was naive enough to say hello to him, and he remembered how the white haired man ushered Lancer away and scolded him for speaking with a “guest”.

Ralsei had been very close to this Dark Fountain before under different circumstances and now he was about to visit it once again. To think that all of that had happened just a year ago left him with a very surreal and dreadful feeling. Kris claimed to understand what he was feeling, but he didn’t  _ truly _ know what was on the mage’s mind.

“...Ralsei? Are you coming?”

He was snapped from his thoughts as he glanced back to Kris, who looked back to him with concerned red eyes. He was standing down the road, waiting for Ralsei to come back to reality and join at his side. Cheeks flushing pink, the shadowed prince nodded quickly, uttering an apology before he scurried over to join the human. Together the two continued down the road in comfortable silence, Ralsei’s mind far in another place as he prepared himself for the near end of their adventure.

__________

It wasn’t long until the heroes were out of the forest, the trail leading into a clearing and an open view of dark fields. From here, the Dark Fountain appeared to be close, and it appeared that their journey could be over within hours. An aching feeling thrummed within Ralsei at the very thought of having to say goodbye so soon.

However, they were interrupted in their trek as they came across a strange silhouette in the distance. Far along the trail sat a strange machine, one that Kris and Ralsei immediately recognized as their very own thrash machine design. How the Dark Lancer Fan Club managed to complete it in such little time was truly beyond the heroes, but they figured it was time to prepare nonetheless.

“I can’t believe they actually made it,” Ralsei gasped as he and Kris began approaching the machine, “This is going to be tough, but I’m sure we can defeat it if…” His voice trailed off as the two of them slowed to a halt. Now that they were closer to the “thrash machine”, they could get a better view of its appearance.

It was shockingly on model with the blueprints;  _ exactly _ on model. And it looked  **_terrible_ ** .

A giant, pink metal duck machine was sitting in the middle of the road and blocking their way, its giant goofy eyes staring vacantly into space as its bill sat slacked open, just the way Kris had doodled it. It was simultaneously very strange and amazingly well-crafted. Kris found it incredibly hard to believe that Susie and Lancer were able to build such a craft without help.

“...This is so amazing that it’s…  _ really _ bad,” Ralsei breathed out after their awestruck silence.

“How did they even  _ complete _ this in the ten minutes we hadn’t seen them?” Kris squinted dubiously at the abomination before them, the abomination  _ he _ provided the design for.

Suddenly, as if on cue, Susie and Lancer came out from the trees, standing proudly behind their bizarre metal masterpiece. Kris and Ralsei pointed their stunned gazes toward the villainous duo as they grinned menacingly upon them.

“Ho ho ho, you think  _ that’s _ bad?” Lancer’s tongue lolled wackily from his mouth as he pulled out a remote control from behind his back, “Just wait…  _ and see what happens with it  _ **_starts_ ** _!! _ ”

Dramatically, he raised his other hand and slammed it onto the comically large red button in the remote’s center. Immediately upon being pressed, the duck machine detonated, completely exploding in a burst of flames right before their eyes. The noise rang throughout the fields and quaked the earth, causing the surrounding birds to fly away in a frenzy. Kris and Ralsei watched slack jawed as their duck machine was no more, absolutely obliterated and leaving not a single piece of the body behind.

Susie and Lancer burst into a fit of laughter, howling and cackling as they held their bellies and slapped their knees. The heroes were silent, unsure of what to make of anything they had just witnessed as they waited for the two to come down from their hysterics.

Catching her breath, Susie wiped a single tear from her eye with a sigh before she grinned mockingly at the two boys on the other side of the clearing, “Your design  _ sucked _ , so we blew it up.”

The shock of the strange event that had just unfolded remained on Kris and Ralsei’s stunned faces, but the prince finally decided to speak, breaking out of his confused daze as he smiled lopsidedly, “A-Ah… I see. So, um, now what’s your plan going to be?”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Susie shot a confident smile Lancer’s way, who returned it with a bright grin of his own, “Well, turns out we didn’t need a plan. Just a  _ rule _ .”

“Anyone who gets in our way...” Lancer began.

“...gets crushed into  **_dust_ ** ,” Susie finished with a nod.

“...But, Susie,” Ralsei frowned, fidgeting with his paws before himself as he worked up the courage to speak, “You need us to  _ return home _ . Doesn’t crushing us seem a little…  _ counterproductive _ ?”

“Nah, see, that’s where you’re wrong.”

Susie moved forward, her steps firm as she approached, Kris and Ralsei having her full attention as she paused meters away, standing in the soot where the thrash machine once sat. Lancer stayed behind her, watching like a proud friend with his hands on his hips. It was clear that this duo had each other’s backs in whatever it was they planned to do, and in a way, the sight was truly admirable.

“Ya see, I  _ know _ I can’t get home without you guys,” Susie spoke, “But being a ‘good guy’  _ really _ isn’t my style. So I thought of a little way we can just...  _ settle this _ .”

Susie held out her hand, and when she clenched her fist, a flash of light manifested her large, teal-bladed battle axe into her claws. Lancer finally joined beside her, having ran back to get his bike to prepare for the battle to come. Kris and Ralsei stood firm on their own end of the battlefield, readying themselves for their rivals’ assault.

“If you guys can beat me,” Susie leered upon her opponents, “I’ll go back to being a good guy. But if you lose…  _ you guys _ will have to become bad guys with  **_us_ ** and do  _ whatever we say. _ ”

“Ho ho ho! Our wish is  _ your _ command!” Lancer chimed.

Susie’s hard yellow glare fell upon Kris, who gazed back with stoic red eyes. She bared her fangs, challenging him as she rested her axe on her shoulder. In this exact moment, she truly looked like the rival she had set out to be for him, and in a way, it filled him with a feeling he wasn’t quite used to. Was he  _ excited  _ to finally settle this?

“So… Whaddya say,  _ Kris? _ ”

The wind around the four teens wisped around them as Susie continued to stare the human down. Ralsei glanced at him, his eyes questioning as he waited for his reply, Lancer switching gears on his bike handles as he continued to grin menacingly at Susie’s side. Kris exhaled softly, closing his eyes for a moment before he reached out his own gloved hand, his rose colored blade appearing in his grip. He returned her glare with a sharp look of his own, his crimson eyes burning with determination as he got into his battle stance.

Susie’s eyes grew menacingly wide, her toothy grin splitting her face viciously as she brandished her axe, pleased with his response. “ _ Good answer _ . Besides, we were just gonna thrash you anyway, so…  **_See ya!!_ ** ”

The battle was just as intense as expected. Susie struck with harsh slashes, aiming to destroy her enemies as Kris blocked her attacks with his shield at every violent swing. He had commanded for Ralsei to keep them distracted as much as possible, doing whatever he could to appease them as he held Susie off.

Ralsei had used kind words, complimenting Lancer and explaining that they didn’t want to fight. Lancer slowly became convinced, much to Susie’s dismay as she tried to keep him focused. A thought had occurred to Kris as he remembered one of their past fights--the battles with the ponmen on the Great Board. Kris commanded Ralsei to sing, which the dark prince complied obediently as he began to hum a gentle lullaby. Susie was out cold in seconds, collapsed to the ground as she fell into a deep sleep.

“Uh oh…” Lancer frowned as everyone had paused to catch their breaths, his bike having slowed to a halt, “I think I accidentally started  _ liking _ the enemies…”

Susie snorted out of her snores as she came back to her senses, groggily waking from her nap as she turned to face Lancer, “ _ Hhh… _ What? No way…!”

“Yeeeeah,” Lancer frowned deeper, his head lowered in shame, “Now seeing them just makes me feel all round and soft. Bad atmosphere for battle, though…”

Susie stared at Lancer with disbelief, her cheeks growing hot as she shot a glare Kris and Ralsei’s way. She couldn’t believe, after everything they had done, that she would fall for such a dumb trick. The heroes continued to stand firm and prepared for whatever she planned to do, but became less stiff as her glare softened and she lowered her head with a deep sigh.

“...Well, if you don’t wanna fight, there’s no point, I guess,” the lizard girl conceded, standing up from her kneeling position as she flexed her fingers, her axe disappearing in a burst of light, “Battle’s over!”

Kris and Ralsei eased out of their battle stances, Kris causing his blade to disappear as he and the prince shared a content smile. The battle was over sooner than either of them expected and they were happy to have settled things as easily as they did. Susie huffed, kicking a boot at the dirt as she stuffed her hands into her pockets. Lancer hopped off his bike, making it disappear into his inventory as he joined at Susie’s side.

“Well, you guys didn’t really  _ beat us _ ,” Susie grumbled, “because you, uh… kinda cheated by ganging up on Lancer with, uh...”

“ _ Kindness _ ,” Lancer concluded her search for words.

“But… If I  _ have to _ , I guess I’ll go back to your side,” Susie muttered before her expression turned sour, her tone a low growl as she made her way over to Kris and Ralsei, “But  **_don’t_ ** expect me to do anything but  _ fight _ .”

“Yeah, we already know the drill,” Kris replied nonchalantly as Susie sulked her way over, not even fazed for once as she roughly shoved his shoulder as she passed.

“We’re happy to have you back, Susie,” Ralsei smiled kindly to her, and she brushed off his comment with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“ _ Yeah, yeah. _ Let’s just hurry up and go home already.”

With the Legendary Trio now regrouped, the heroes could finally proceed on their mission to close the Dark Fountain once and for all. Ralsei was relieved to finally have everyone together after such a long time of being separated, and he was happy to see that they had all come to some kind of compromise.

However, his joy sank away as quickly as it came when he noticed Lancer standing on the other side of the trail, fidgeting with his blue gloved fingers as he watched the three of them become a party again. He looked so…  _ dejected _ . And Ralsei supposed he understood exactly why. How had he not realized that they were going to have to split apart their friendship like this?

“...Umm… Susie?” Lancer finally spoke up, and Susie turned to face him, her sour expression softening into concern at his timid demeanor, “Does this mean we… aren’t a  _ team _ anymore?”

Susie’s heart clenched, her eyes full of pity as she gazed upon the smaller boy. His pouting face was so forlorn and lonely that it reminded her of a little kicked puppy. She couldn’t bear to see her new friend so hurt, and over her  _ leaving  _ no less.

“ _ H-Huh? Um-- Well-- I mean _ ,” she stammered, turning to look at Kris and Ralsei, who looked back to her and waited for her reply. The girl then turned back to Lancer, giving him a big grin as she stepped forward to him as well.

“Of course we’re still a team!” Susie reassured, gesturing a hand behind her to the two other boys who perked up at her statement, “You can, um… be part of the  _ Lancer Fan Club! _ ”

While they were slightly taken aback, Kris and Ralsei certainly didn’t have any objections. Lancer had already been with them this entire journey, so why not allow him to tag along as a fourth member? Ralsei gave Lancer a big welcoming grin and Kris gave him a thumbs up and a nod of approval.

Something in Lancer’s shadowed face seemed to brighten at the offer, his cheeks tinting blue with a blush as he could hardly contain his excitement, “W-Wow! Me? In the Lancer Fan Club!?”

His joy dimmed suddenly as he seemed to get distracted by his own thoughts. His grin faltered, as he fidgeted once more, his eyes downcasted to his boots, “But wait… If I hang out with the good guys, then…”

Kris, Susie, and Ralsei all watched Lancer seemed to struggle with himself, the three of them waiting expectantly for him to finish as they stared with looks of concern. Their worry was short-lived, though, as he perked up once more, his expression no longer glum as he squished his cheeks and beamed enthusiastically.

“Can we still have monogrammed track jackets?!”

Ah.  _ Good old Lancer. _ They figured it was silly to assume the worst in this situation.

“Pfft, well yeah!” Susie grinned back, patting a rough hand onto Ralsei’s shoulder and startling him. It was the first time she had acted  _ chummy  _ with him throughout their entire adventure, “Ralsei will make ‘em! Right, nerd?”

“H-Huh?!” Ralsei flushed pink, readjusting his hat on his head with a paw as it shifted from his sudden jolt. He looked up at Susie with bashful white eyes as he gave a timid smile, “Er-- Yeah! Okay, sure!”

Kris watched as his companions teased and shared a playful moment with each other. It satisfied him to see that even after everything that had happened between them, they were still able to come to a good solution on how to get along as a group. It was funny how quickly everyone had come together, even after so many road bumps and awkward situations, they all had truly become friends along this adventure of theirs.

Kris truly felt as though he had  **_real_ ** _ friends _ .

Settled on their group being a quartet, the Lancer Fan Club accepted Lancer with open arms. Happy to be part of the team, Lancer turned to the group with a triumphant face. The heroes were surprised to see the Spade Prince’s eyes for the first time as he gave them a very bizarre expression, his black eyes half lid and his grin quirked cockily.

“Ahahah!! Lancer joins the team!!” He cheered in his best narrator voice, successfully amusing and upsetting the entire group as they continued their way down the trail to Card Castle.

__________

Together, the Lancer Fan Club made their way down the trail as evening--as they had come to understand  _ time  _ anyway--drew closer. As they walked, the newly formed group of four had conversed among themselves, getting to know one another more and keeping each other entertained.

Lancer raved about how excited he was to be on such a big team, having never had so many friends to hang out with before, and everyone reassured that he could spend time with them as long as he liked. Susie complained about being hungry, stating that no matter how much she ate, the food of the Dark World just didn’t seem to fill her. Ralsei had generously offered to bake a cake for everyone later when the journey was over, so long as he was treated kindly and not made fun of anymore.

It was a surprise to no one that Susie declined the offer, the former evil duo cackling at the very thought while Ralsei pouted to himself over it.

“Man, just walking around with you guys feels...  _ nice _ ,” Lancer commented absentmindedly, finishing his Dark Candy fruit that he and Susie had worked together to pick off a tall tree lining the trail, “Like… I feel like I’m doing something  _ important _ .”

“That’s because you’re alongside the Lightners, Lancer,” Ralsei replied, a proud smile on his face, “Our purpose-- _ Darkners’  _ purpose--is to assist them! It’s the only way we can feel truly fulfilled.”

That is what the legends say anyway; the stories he had come to know from cover to cover and also learned from information provided by his Teacher.

“Really?” Lancer turned his attention to Ralsei curiously, but then pointed his gaze to his boots as they continued to walk down the reddish path, “...but my dad  _ hates _ Lightners. He wants to...”

His voice trailed off and he slowed to a stop, the rest of the party following suit as they all turned to face Lancer. They watched in silence as the Spade Prince rung his hands, seemingly deeply troubled by his own worried thoughts. Ralsei offered him a sympathetic look as he cautioned a step closer to the shorter boy, his head tilted in an attempt to meet his gaze once more.

“Well, Lancer… does your dad seem  **_happy_ ** _? _ ”

Perhaps that question was a bit too  _ intrusive _ , but with every new thing they had been learning about the tyrant Spade King--how cruel and violent he could be--Ralsei couldn’t help but wonder just what they were up against here. Was he really as horrific as he sounded? And if he was, how much did that affect Lancer?

Lancer bit his lip, gulping nervously as he kept his eyes at his boots. He seemed uncharacteristically sheepish now after being asked such a question, “...I’m… not  _ sure _ .”

The silence grew thicker at his honest reply. It was clear that this was a complicated topic for Lancer, and all it seemed to bring was unwanted tension and a lot of dreadful thoughts. After a few more seconds of awkward silence, Susie had finally coughed into a fist to drag everyone out of it.

“Hey, uh, let’s ditch the weird  _ ‘purpose’ _ talk,” she said as she continued her way down the path, “You’re probably just glad you ate a weird berry, Lancer.”

Her words seemed to ease Lancer’s mind, and soon he was grinning again, perked up as if he hadn’t just been so bothered just moments before, “Heheh... Yeah, you’re right! I’m still  _ boost _ from the  _ juice! _ ”

Kris and Ralsei took their change in attitude as a sign that things were going to be okay, Kris continuing to lead everyone down the road as Ralsei trailed behind the group, his worry and attention still placed upon Lancer, though he chose not to bother him any further.

As they wandered along, Susie continued on with a small quirk of a smile on her lips, “I mean, look,  _ I’m _ not from here, but hanging out like this… I also feel kinda, uh…  _ y’know _ ...”

“...Happy?” Ralsei offered to finish her thought, a heartfelt smile peeking behind his scarf as he gazed upon her hopefully. Kris and Lancer followed suit as they waited to hear her answer.

Susie glanced between the boys as they all waited for her response. Her eyes grew wide, as if a realization struck her in that moment. She quickly turned away from them, her violet hair bouncing with the movement and her cheeks grew hot with pink, “Psshh,  _ nah _ . No way.”

All three of the boys deflated slightly at her reply, but accepted it as a pretty normal Susie answer. They all kept onward along the trail together, but as they continued forward, Kris could’ve sworn he had heard Susie mumble to herself under her breath.

“... _ Maybe. _ ”

As the trail continued, the trees had begun to thin out, leading into broad plains of rippling blue violet grass. It wasn’t long until even the Card Castle itself was in view in the distance beyond the fields, the Dark Fountain flowing up from its center. Ralsei paused to admire the breathtaking view, waving a hand for the others to take it in as well.

“Look, everyone! We can see the castle!”

The three teens halted in their march, turning to gaze out to the large structure over the horizon. Standing tall in the distance was their destination, its walls made of black and blue brick that stood toweringly tall into the sky, rivaling the size of Ralsei’s own castle of the Empty Kingdom. Four card suit statues lined its sides, but in the center, a single giant painted spade sat dauntingly among the cards.

The gated entrance of the castle still rested beneath the spade print like a vicious grin, and even now after all this time, Ralsei  _ still _ couldn’t shake the feeling that the castle itself was threatening his small form with a malicious smile. He still wasn’t sure he liked the feeling  _ or _ the castle’s architecture for that matter.

“Damn. That place is  _ huge _ .” Susie was the first to voice her awe, her yellow eyes full of wonder.

“It’s just as grand as I figured,” Kris agreed, equally blown away at the sight.

“Yes! That’s where I live!” Lancer exclaimed proudly, but his grin staggered as he finished his outburst, “Me and, uh… My… My  _ dad _ .”

“What’s the black thing emerging from the top?” Susie inquired, pointing a claw to the pillar of darkness flowing out from the castle’s center.

“That’s the Fountain, Susie!” Ralsei turned to the tall girl and gestured a hand to the castle view. “Just like the one in my own castle. If we can get there, you and Kris will finally be able to go home!”

As the conversation carried on, Lancer had grown silent once more. He seemed stiffer than usual as he continued to stare out to the castle, his entire demeanor having changed as he appeared to be lost in his thoughts. It was a change that hadn’t gone unnoticed by Kris, but he kept silent, wanting for Lancer to voice his feelings himself.

The group pressed onward, Susie groaning about how long the adventure took and Ralsei countering that it had only taken them three days to arrive at their destination. They continued on with their banter as they went, but Lancer had still kept silent throughout the whole exchange. Kris continued to lead the group forward, but spared the Spade Prince an occasional side-eye glance to ensure that he was okay.

“...Are you guys sure there isn’t…  _ another way _ home?” Lancer finally spoke up, his usual silly attitude seeming to have completely vanish at this point, “The Fountain’s being guarded right now. If you try to go there, um...”

His voice trailed away again. The heroes all turned to him with concern as he struggled to find his words.

“Y-You… You might… get  _ hurt _ . A-And…”

“What? C’mon, Lancer,” Susie’s brows furrowed as she approached the smaller boy, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder as she offered a confident smirk, “No one’s gonna beat a team like  _ us! _ You know that!”

Though she seeked to ease him, Susie’s reassurance only caused Lancer to tense a bit more. He looked up at her sheepishly as she turned to the rest of the group, giving her best sharp toothed grin as she continued on.

“Besides! If anyone gets in our way, all we gotta do is  **_crush_ ** ‘em!”

Lancer froze, his shadowed face full of deep fear as he stepped back to remove himself from Susie’s grip. It was a look none of them were used to seeing on his face, and Susie looked back to him with confusion. Her brow quirked as Lancer began to fidget nervously once more.

“...But w-what if you… had to fight…”

“Well… Everybody  _ bleeds _ , right?” Susie shrugged, trying to keep the atmosphere light despite the growing tension, unaware that Lancer hadn’t quite finished his words, “Don’t worry about it, dude. Whoever it is, they’ll be cold on the ground before you can  _ blink! _ ”

Kris and Ralsei had also tensed at her statement, Ralsei cringing at the thought while Kris’ gaze shifted between his two allies. Something was wrong and there was clearly more to this situation than was being said. Lancer looked absolutely  _ mortified _ .

The hooded boy took a few more steps away, his head lowered as he began to quiver. He bit his lip to contain himself before turning to face down the trail leading to the castle.

“...I think… I think I need to  _ go _ ,” Lancer breathed out, his anxiety very clear.

“W-Wait, what?” Susie’s face finally fell, her eyes flicking from the trail onward to the shivering boy before her, “When’re you gonna be back?”

All three teens had their eyes on Lancer now, and he found himself shrinking under their concerned attention. He worried his lip some more between his teeth as he continued to stare down the trail. He stepped past Susie, who watched him with growing unease as he paused once again, finally making his decision.

“... _ Never _ .”

He was bolting down the path now, running away as fast as he could as he dashed down the trail, heading straight for the castle. The heroes stood shocked as he darted away, Susie stammering dumbly as she tried to process what had just happened. 

“H-Hey! Wait a second! Lancer!!” Susie had finally collected herself, and it wasn’t long until she, too, was sprinting after the Spade Prince, desperate to catch him and get an explanation for all of this. “Why are you acting so weird?! Get back here!”

“S-Susie, wait!” Ralsei yelped, but she was already gone, running straight for the castle after Lancer. Panicked, the mage turned to Kris, eyes full of fear for their reckless friends. “Kris, we have to stop them! They’re going to alert the guards!”

Ralsei was now running after the two as well, hoping to catch them or at least protect them from whatever was waiting at the gates. Kris hesitated a moment, the sudden change of pace catching him strongly off guard. He should’ve known that it would come to this, that they would be facing conflict upon reaching the castle and Lancer would have to make a serious decision, but he hadn’t expected to hit a speedbump  _ this heavily _ .

Gritting his teeth, he dashed forward, attempting to catch up with his friends who thoughtlessly ran into enemy territory. He had to stop them and regroup. He was the  _ Leader _ after all-- _ whatever  _ **_that_ ** _ truly meant _ \--and he needed to ensure the safety of his team. As he followed the backs of his companions, a voice caught his ears, calling out from the trees.

“The Lightners are approaching the castle...!  _ Get them!! _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THINGS ARE GETTING TENSE.
> 
> So, without spoiling much, I will admit that this chapter is indeed the _last chapter to have playful elements throughout the whole chapter._ Everything else from here on takes a more serious turn, revealing secrets and darker situations and elements. Hope you're excited for the tone shift, 'cuz I sure know I am. >)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this chapter! Please consider commenting feedback if you'd like and I'll see you again next week!

**Author's Note:**

> We've finally entered the main part of this story! Everything from here will be involving the Heroes of Light, their journey through the Dark World, and the adventures to come involving Dark Prince Ralsei and the Human Hero Kris!
> 
> That being said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Look forward to new chapters in the future!


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